Red yeast rice extract is rice that has been fermented by the red yeast, monascus purpureus. Red yeast rice has been used by the Chinese for many centuries as a food preservative, food colorant (Red yeast rice is responsible for the red color of Peking duck), spice, and ingredient in rice wine.
Red yeast rice extract also has been used in China for over 1,000 years for medicinal purposes. Red yeast rice was described in an ancient Chinese list of drugs as useful for improving blood circulation and for alleviating indigestion and diarrhea. There is also growing interest in evaluating red yeast rice for use as a natural food dye andor preservative.