The following pharmacists will talk to you about monascus, so let's get to know it correctly.
What is hyperlipidemia?
Hyperlipidemia is often called hyperlipidemia, and it is also called dyslipidemia in medicine. Usually refers to the increase of triglyceride and total cholesterol in plasma, including the increase of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and the decrease of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, which can directly cause some diseases that seriously endanger human health, such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, pancreatitis and so on.
In general, most patients have no obvious symptoms and abnormal signs. Many people only find that the existing plasma lipoprotein level rises when they have blood biochemical tests for other reasons.
Statins are currently
The most effective lipid-lowering drug
Statins can not only effectively reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, but also reduce triglyceride and increase high-density lipoprotein to a certain extent, which can not only reduce blood lipid and stabilize plaque, but also improve vascular endothelial cells, resist intravascular inflammation, stabilize plaque and avoid myocardial infarction, so statins can also be called more comprehensive lipid-regulating drugs.
Among statins, atorvastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin are three commonly used drugs, and the dosage is different. The adverse reactions are slight and short-lived when using the conventional dosage, but some patients may still have adverse reactions such as rhabdomyolysis, abnormal liver enzymes and hemorrhagic stroke risk during taking the medicine. [1] Therefore, some patients feel that statins are unsafe to use and dare not take them for a long time.
DuangDuangDuang, restore Statin's reputation here. Experiments show that long-term use of statins can significantly reduce the mortality of patients with coronary heart disease, reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events, and significantly improve the prognosis of patients with cardiovascular diseases. It also shows that if there is no adverse reaction of statins, it should be taken for a long time. The longer the time, the greater the benefit to patients. [2]
Monascus has the function of lowering blood lipid.
Monascus is a kind of monascus rice parasitic on japonica rice by mycelium of Aspergillus fungus Monascus. Monascus, as a traditional Chinese medicine, is sweet and slightly warm. Has effects in invigorating spleen, regulating stomach, promoting digestion, resolving food stagnation, promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and relieving pain. Materia Medica is called "promoting blood circulation and digestion, invigorating spleen and warming stomach".
"Herbal Classic Shu" said: "Monascus digestion and spleen and stomach with divine comedy, but only Monascus can promote blood circulation and harm the body". Commonly used for indigestion, abdominal distension, red and white dysentery, postpartum lochia and traumatic injury. It's better to be red and crisp and old for a long time. [3]
It is worth noting that monascus rice is easily affected by moisture. Once it gets wet, it will be polluted by harmful microorganisms, gradually mildew, agglomerate and produce insects, so it should be stored in a dry environment. [4]
1976, Professor Endo of A&M University in Tokyo, Japan, discovered and extracted a class of substances that can inhibit cholesterol synthesis from monascus, called monacolin, and monacolin K is now lovastatin.
Monacolin K (lovastatin) is the most representative of many statins in monascus, which means that natural statins can be extracted from monascus, mainly lovastatin. [5]
1996, Xuezhikang, a drug approved by China for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, is refined from monascus.
Monascus exists alone
Can you overcome hyperlipidemia?
If there is no blood lipid problem, you don't need to take monascus for a long time at will. In a case report in the British Medical Journal, the researchers pointed out that Monacolin K is contained in monascus rice, which is the same as the active chemical in lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, and therefore has the same risk of liver injury.
If your blood lipids do not meet the medical indications of "hyperlipidemia", you can take red yeast in moderation.
If you already have coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and other diseases, it is generally difficult to achieve therapeutic effect by relying solely on monascus to reduce blood lipid. [5]
Buy monascus through regular channels
Patients often ask, there is red rice sold in the vegetable market, and the price is very cheap. Can I take medicine?
Pharmacists suggest that you buy monascus through formal channels. Monascus can produce lipid-lowering effect. Monascus should be fermented at a certain temperature and humidity, and Monascus should reach a certain amount to induce Monascus rice to produce lovastatin substances, thus producing lipid-lowering effect.
References:
[1] X power. The value and nursing experience of statins in the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease [J]. Drug evaluation, 20 19, 16 (14): 4-6, 15.
Na Kaixian, Zhang Guiyun, Xu Wentuo, et al. Importance of lipid-lowering therapy and rational use of statins [J]. China Clinician, 2012,40 (9): 3-7.
[3] Zhang. Clinical observation and mechanism study on intervention of lipid-lowering monascus micropowder and monascus preparation Xuezhikang on atherosclerosis [C]. Proceedings of the 8th National Academic Conference on Blood Stasis Syndrome and Research on Promoting Blood Circulation and Removing Blood Stasis by Combining Chinese and Western Medicine.2010: 435-437.
[4] Shao Shihai. On the health value of monascus [C]. Proceedings of Nanjing International Forum on Traditional Chinese Medicine and the inaugural meeting of the World Health Promotion Federation. 20 12: 340-342.
[5] Wu Shimin, Qiu Yingping. Monascus can't replace hypolipidemic drugs [J]. Food and Health, 2020, (2):42.
Author: Ada, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.