Red Rice Yeast 1200 mg 10:1 extract | 60 tablets | NOW Foods

NOW Foods Red Yeast Rice 1200 mg

Are you looking for red yeast rice in a concentrated tablet form? NOW Foods offers 1200 mg of red yeast rice as a 10:1 extract per tablet, enriched with calcium. Red yeast rice is produced by fermenting rice with the fungus Monascus purpureus. One jar contains 60 tablets.

What is Red Yeast Rice?

Red yeast rice is exactly what its name implies: ordinary rice fermented with a red yeast fungus, Monascus purpureus. During this process, the fungus colonizes the rice grains and produces a series of red and purple pigments, which give the rice its characteristic dark red color. It is a centuries-old ingredient from Chinese cuisine and herbal tradition, used for over a thousand years. In cuisine, red yeast rice was traditionally used as a natural colorant and flavor enhancer, especially for colored rice wine, tofu, and various meat and fish dishes. From these culinary origins, it has gradually found its way into the modern world of dietary supplements, where it is offered as an isolated ingredient. The red color, incidentally, is not an addition but appears entirely during fermentation: the fungus naturally produces pigments with names like monascorubrin and rubropunctatin. These same pigments are still used today in some parts of Asia as a natural food coloring.

What a 10:1 extract means

The label indicates that this is a 10:1 extract. This number describes the concentration: approximately ten parts of raw red yeast rice were used to obtain one part of extract. The result is a more compact and concentrated form than unprocessed red yeast rice powder. Each tablet contains 1200 mg of this extract, a fixed amount clearly indicated on the label. In addition to red yeast rice, each tablet also contains calcium, derived from calcium carbonate, mentioned separately on the label. The tablet form is convenient: you don't need to weigh or mix powder, and you know precisely what you are consuming with each tablet. While red yeast rice powder has an earthy and slightly bitter taste, you won't perceive any of that with a coated tablet. The recommended use on the label advises one or two tablets per day, preferably with some food.

Red yeast rice and European regulations

In the field of dietary supplements, red yeast rice is an ingredient that should be used with discernment. It naturally contains a group of substances called monacolins, which are formed during fermentation. Precisely for this reason, strict rules apply to red yeast rice products in the European Union since 2022, with mandatory warnings on the packaging. This explains the detailed safety text you find for this product, both on the label and on this page. Therefore, do not combine red yeast rice with certain medications without medical advice, and carefully read the safety information before starting. NOW Foods clearly states these warnings on the label.

Composition and target audience

The formula focuses on red yeast rice itself, enriched with calcium and a few functional excipients such as microcrystalline cellulose, a vegetarian coating, and anti-caking agents. There is no broad mix of herbs included. This product is intended for adults who wish to use red yeast rice as an isolated and concentrated ingredient, taking into account the corresponding safety information. In summary: a compact 10:1 red yeast rice extract, from a brand known for its clear labels and controlled production.