Red Yeast Rice products and citrinin: what about that

Many people who want to keep their cholesterol levels at a healthy level look for a natural self-care product as an alternative to 'regular' aids. Sensible, because a good cholesterol level is important for the condition of the heart and blood vessels. Then you quickly end up with red yeast rice: an excellent alternative to chemical statins. Still, there are many questions about one specific ingredient in red yeast rice: citrinin. How is that exactly? We will explain it to you.

Red yeast rice is a traditional Chinese food that results from the fermentation of rice. During this process, the bioactive substance monacolin K is formed: an important component that has a beneficial effect on the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels in the blood. Scientific research shows that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 10 mg of monacolin K from red fermented rice.

What is Citrinin?

Citrinin is a natural fungal toxin. It can be found in many products such as beans, fruits, olives, herbs and spices. Red yeast rice may also contain citrinin. Citrinin can be formed during the fermentation process, which can be harmful to the liver and kidneys. This has led to warnings about citrinin in dietary supplements. Of course, this does not apply to Golden Naturals red yeast rice products.

Citrinin poor

The production of our red yeast rice products prevents the formation of citrinin. However, the guarantee '100% citrinin-free' can never be given completely, so we will not do that. But don't worry: the amount of citrinin in food supplements must of course always meet legal requirements. European legislation (Commission Regulation 2019/1901) prescribes that the citrinin content in foods may not exceed 100 µg / kg. Golden Naturals red yeast rice products always contain less than 100 µg / kg citrinin. In addition, every Golden Naturals red yeast rice batch is extensively tested for citrinin, so you can rest assured that it is not only low in citrinin, but also completely safe to use (if used according to instructions).