Red Yeast Rice (RYR) has been used in food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in China for cardiovascular support. An extract from RYR has been fermented with the yeast Monascus purpureus, which creates compounds that have been clinically shown to inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver.

Unlike many other red yeast rice supplements on the market, AOR’s Red Yeast Rice with Ankascin 568-R is subjected to a patented extraction process that removes citrinin, a toxic by-product of the fermentation process. Most RYR products on the market also contain monacolin K, a compound that is associated with side effects similar to statin drugs. These side effects can include myopathy, muscle pain and weakness, and rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle fibres break down, releasing harmful substances into the bloodstream which can affect the liver and kidneys.