2 die, 100 hospitalized after consuming Japan drugmaker's health supplements

The beni-koji products were expected to help lower levels of LDL cholesterol, known as "bad" cholesterol.

So, does it work? Has it been tested for that? Or is it another quack remedy?

Oh, Japan quality lately, just too many bows by Japan Inc execs.

Yes it does work, it's an established beneficial ingredient in Asian traditional medicine. I suspect, like the Indian cough mixture, contamination has occurred in the manufacturing, storing or transport process.

Not easy to fix....

I’ve always been suspicious of the myriad of powdered concoctions sold in Japan as dietary supplements. It’s impossible to be sure of what is in them. Eat healthier and get off the booze and ciggies and all your health troubles will disappear. You don’t need magic potions.

Ooops, probably the ingredients were cheeeeeply imported!??, mixed, fancy repackaged, heavily promoted, then sold.

""The Japanese pharmaceutical company launched its own investigation after a doctor notified it in January of cases involving patients having health problems linked to the products.""

Never let anyone investigate it's own, better send in the FED's.

LindsayToday  08:20 am JST

I’ve always been suspicious of the myriad of powdered concoctions sold in Japan as dietary supplements. It’s impossible to be sure of what is in them. Eat healthier and get off the booze and ciggies and all your health troubles will disappear. You don’t need magic potions.

Yep, and little in the way of regulation to ensure safety and quality, I'm afraid.

I was watching the news about this specific product and incident when a commercial for Kobayashi's beni-koji red yeast rice came on a minute later.

I orginally thought it was a warning but upon watching it really carefully, they were advertising it! Someone from the company should have contacted all the advertisers and cancelled these commercials stat.

Oh, Japan quality lately, just too many bows by Japan Inc execs.

I guess you forgot that mention that the mold comes from China.

That's awful. I hope they establish whether the death was caused by the supplement or not. I take a lot of supplements since coronavirus and need to be careful.

If there is not any clear medical issue, cholesterol can be cleared with a healthy diet.

The company will consider compensation for those companies that have been asked to conduct voluntary recalls.

But will they consider compensation for the dead and ill? And will this product be taken off the market until the investigation is complete?

"The company will consider compensation for those companies that have been asked to conduct voluntary recalls."

Oh yeah? So how about the person who died and those who have been hospitalized? Will they receive compensation (or those who have survived them)?

Yes it does work, it's an established beneficial ingredient in Asian traditional medicine

BS! Provide randomized controlled studies showing such benefits.

Asian traditional "medicine" is the definition of quack.

BS! Provide randomized controlled studies showing such benefits.

Example...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9014483/

In conclusion, beni-koji appears to be an effective and safe food material for mild essential hypertension. The mechanism of the antihypertensive effect of beni-koji still remains to be investigated.

It isn't purely a cholesterol supplement, it's a blood lipid supplement.

But since as you're so insistent, show us a randomized controlled study showing benefit for pharmaceutical cholesterol medication (statin) then, and note how much anti-statin studies are out there but can't get published because of the power of the pharma lobby.

I take magnesium every day, feels terrible, can't sleep if I miss a day or two. For me supplements are better than pharma meds.

Asian traditional "medicine" is the definition of quack.

Then why did western supplementary vitamins industry adopt (steal) it and promoted much they can synthesise then?

Scary. Even cholesterol lowering drugs don’t kill you.

Western medicine is the best

Western medicine is the best

Every form of medicine is best when it derives a benefit.

https://youtu.be/I7r4j1u42V8?si=lODPW9l46rcSXnuA

But i am getting ever more suspicious about big pharma and its hunger for profit. Let's not forget much of big pharma drugs have been derived from trad meds around the globe.