Red yeast rice is used for both culinary and medicinal purposes, most notably as a supplement for lowering cholesterol. It is made by fermenting white rice with the mold Monascus purpureus, which produces a compound called monacolin K.

Derived from rice fermented with Monascus purpureus yeast, red yeast rice is comprised of various chemicals, with monacolin K being a key component identical to a statin drug. Red yeast rice contains a total of ten different chemicals, collectively known as monacolins, and these substances play a role in influencing cholesterol levels. Notably, monacolin K, which mirrors the structure of the drug lovastatin, stands out as the most prevalent chemical in red yeast rice.