Chinese herbology
In addition to its culinary use, red yeast rice is also used in Chinese herbology and Traditional Chinese medicine. Its use has been documented as far back as the Tang Dynasty in China in 800 AD. Red yeast rice is described in the Chinese pharmacopoeia "Ben Cao Gang Mu" by Li Shizhen. Recommendations were to take it internally to invigorate the body, aid in digestion, and revitalize the blood.