Red yeast rice is made by fermenting red yeast (monascus purpureus) on rice flour. It has been used for centuries in China as a food preservative, natural colorant, spice, and ingredient in rice wine. This yeast is still widely consumed today in China, Japan and Asian communities around the world. For more than 1000 years it has been used in China for medicinal purposes. Red yeast was described in ancient books as improving blood circulation and relieving digestive disorders. It was the Japanese professor ENDO who discovered in 1977 a natural substance, produced by the yeast of monascus, having the potential to decrease the level of bad cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, involved in the production of cholesterol in the 'organization. Several kinds of monacolins, antioxidants, minerals and trace elements (calcium, iron, magnesium, ...), unsaturated fats and starch are found in quality red yeast rice.