Also known as 'Hong qu', Red Yeast Rice has been used for centuries by the Chinese and other Asian cultures to effectively reduce high cholesterol levels and promote cardiovascular health. Red Yeast Rice refers to rice that has been cultured with the yeast Monascus purpureus, or to put it another way, rice that has been fermented by the addition of a specific yeast. It contains hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase inhibitors. These are compounds that inhibit an enzymatic reaction necessary to produce cholesterol in the body, especially in the liver, which is considered the main site of cholesterol production and is responsible for over 75% of our total cholesterol supply. The Liver contains HMG-CoA reductase and red yeast rice works to inhibit its action, thereby decreasing cholesterol production.