Why is monascus bad for liver function? Because drugs are metabolized by the liver, they are not good for liver function.
Since ancient times, monascus has been regarded as a precious health tonic by Chinese medicine, and it has a good therapeutic effect on some diseases. In ancient China, the medical efficacy of monascus was clearly recorded, which can be traced back to "Red kojic brewing, breaking blood and promoting medicine potential" described by Ray Wu daily-use grass in Yuan Dynasty. Hu Sihui, a contemporary dietetic doctor, said that red yeast rice "strengthens the spleen, benefits qi and warms the middle" when eating. Later drug books, such as Zhu Danxi, the most famous of the four great doctors in Jin and Yuan Dynasties, recorded in his addendum to Materia Medica that "red yeast, promoting blood circulation and digestion, invigorating spleen and drying stomach, treating red and white dysentery, entering the valley, and being good for a long time"; Compendium of Materia Medica states that "Monascus is mainly used to promote digestion and blood circulation, strengthen the spleen and dry the stomach, treat red and white dysentery and enter the water valley. Brewing wine, breaking blood and taking medicine, killing Shan Lan miasma, treating bruises, treating women's bloody pain and postpartum bloody endless ".
According to the theory of traditional medicine in China, monascus is sweet and warm, and has the effect of regulating blood lipid concentration, which can slow down some symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. It is also said among the people in Taiwan Province that monascus is very effective in treating nocturia and mild asthma in children and the elderly. Because the benefits of monascus are constantly being discovered, scholars from all over the world have joined the ranks of studying monascus in recent years. As a result, it is found that monascus widely exists in every corner of nature, and it is a rare friend of human beings, and it will produce dozens of metabolites that are very useful to human beings. It can not only produce various aromatic substances such as acids, alcohols and esters, but also produce a variety of hydrolytic enzymes, which can decompose starch, protein, nucleic acids, pectin and galactose. Therefore, it can be used as an important material for making a variety of fermented foods.
The secondary metabolites of monascus are the focus of foreign research in recent years, and the monascus pigment was mainly targeted at the initial stage. But recently, monacolins with high economic value is the most popular, and natural antioxidants such as dimerumic acid and flavonoids produced by Monascus may also have good development potential. Recent studies have also found that the orange pigment of monascus, Monacolin K and other unidentified antibacterial substances can effectively inhibit the growth of some food spoilage bacteria, such as Bacillus, Streptococus, Pseudomonas and so on.
˙ literature reference:
Shennong Herbal Classic/Compendium of Materia Medica
As early as in the Song Dynasty, ancient books such as Qing Yi Lu, which was written by Tao Gu's allusions of Sui and Tang Dynasties, mentioned "cook the meat with red yeast"; Hu Bai's "Tiaoxi Fishing Hidden Conghua" records: "People in the south of the Yangtze River make red wine with excellent color and taste." ; The description of "Red Grains Xun" in Li Zhiyi's Guxi Jushi Collection illustrates the edible value of red koji for seasoning, coloring and wine making.
After the Yuan Dynasty, the use of monascus became more common, and its medicinal value was gradually reflected, which was recorded in many pharmacopoeias and books on food preparation. For example, in the "Daily Materia Medica" written by Ray Wu in the Yuan Dynasty, it is said: "Red koji brewing, breaking the blood and doing medicine"; About the same time, Hu Sihui, a doctor of diet, said in "Eating Diet is Just About" that red yeast "strengthens the spleen, benefits qi and warms the middle warmer". Subsequent drug books, such as Supplement to Materia Medica, Compendium of Materia Medica and Compilation of Yilin, all recorded the efficacy of monascus. Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming Dynasty also recorded that "Monascus is mainly used to promote digestion and blood circulation, strengthen the spleen and dry the stomach. Treat red and white dysentery and get rid of water. Wine-making can break the blood, kill Shan Lan miasma, treat bruises, treat women's bloody pain and postpartum bloody endless ". It is also circulated among the people in Taiwan Province that monascus is very effective in treating nocturia and mild asthma in children and the elderly. The Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine published in recent years defines the main functions of monascus as "promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, strengthening the spleen and promoting digestion, and treating postpartum lochia, abdominal pain due to blood stasis, indigestion, red and white diarrhea and traumatic injury." , accurately explained the efficacy of monascus.