Red yeast rice is a unique ingredient native to China. Red yeast rice has traditionally been used in Asian cuisine, and also as an herbal medicinal compound. Red yeast rice is produced by the fermentation of red yeast (Monascus purpureus) with white rice. Red yeast rice supplements may help support healthier cholesterol levels, possibly by virtue of their naturally occurring lovastatins. Lovastatins work by interfering with the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver, but that process also necessarily interferes with the liver's production of valuable Co Q-10. That's why combining red yeast rice with Co Q-10, as NOW Foods has done with this product, is such a good idea and probably why this product has become so popular. NOW® Red Yeast Rice Extract also incorporates Milk Thistle extract and alpha lipoic acid for even deeper liver support. NOW® Red Yeast Rice with CoQ10 is a particularly good choice among the many red yeast rice products since it is one of the few processed to reduce levels of citrinin, an undesirable by-product of the fermentation process.Allow 8-12 weeks of consistent use before evaluating your results via a blood cholesterol test. Do not combine red yeast rice with cholesterol medications unless instructed to do so by your doctor.