Tokyo: Two deaths and more than 100 hospitalizations have been linked to a health scare in Japan over cholesterol-lowering dietary supplements.
Authorities are investigating after generic tablets were recalled by the Japanese drug Kobayashi Pharmaceutical following complaints of kidney problems.
The company has recalled three brands — “cholesterol aid beni koji” and two other products — that contain an ingredient called red glutinous rice, or “beni koji.”
Medical researchers describe red yeast rice as an alternative to statins to lower high cholesterol, but also warn of the risk of organ damage depending on its chemical composition.
“The total number of suspected deaths is (now) two,” senior government spokesman Imoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding that “106 possible cases in hospital have also been identified.”
Supplement maker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, which sells many of its health products through TV ads in Japan, has warned that there is no causal link between health problems and its products.
According to the Osaka-based company, the company has supplied red dough rice to about 50 other companies in Japan and two in Taiwan.
Dozens of Japanese firms that use Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s koji beans have also issued separate recalls. Affected products include some health tablets, as well as pink glaze, salad dressing, bread, and miso paste in many traditional dishes
