Common points of hospitalizations after using Japanese red yeast rice

The information was announced by the Japanese Society of Nephrology on April 1, after an online survey was conducted on 46 users of the red yeast rice product "beni-koji choleste help" and one user of "naishi help plus cholesterol". Both functional foods have been recalled by Kobayashi.

Eighty percent of the patients presented to the hospital around January. Twenty-five percent were treated with steroids, while the rest required additional medication. Two required dialysis, of which one has since recovered.

Of the patients, 90% were between the ages of 40 and 69, with 66% being women. There were no reported deaths among the 47 people surveyed, the association said.

The number of people hospitalized after taking dietary supplements made by Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals rose to 157 by the end of March, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said on April 1. The number of inquiries to the company has now reached 22,000. The ministry set up a government hotline to address questions about the issue, which has so far received more than 1,500 calls.

Kobayashi launched the product "beni-koji choleste help" in February 2021, selling about one million packs by the end of February this year. Many users developed kidney disease some time later.

Recently, Kobayashi said that he discovered puberulic acid, a natural compound derived from blue mold, in the production of beni-koji. According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, this is a strong antibacterial and antimalarial substance that can be toxic to users.