AT least 95 people who took Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s beni kōji red yeast rice supplements filed health complaints, according to Japan’s health ministry.
The individuals who filed a complaint were mostly between the ages of 40 and 69, with most of them women.
According to doctors, the consumers who took the supplements complained of loss of appetite, urine and kidney problems, stomach problems, and weight loss.
Meanwhile, 212 people were hospitalized in Japan due to health damage related to the dietary supplement containing red yeast rice known as beni koji.
Thirty more people have been reported ill in Taiwan after consuming the controversial dietary supplements.
Additionally, almost 700 other people are seeking medical advice or planning to do so.
The company assured that overseas consumers will receive the same treatment as Japanese consumers particularly when it comes to compensation.
Japan’s health ministry explained the supplements contain a substance called “puberulic acid,” derived from blue mold, which is known for its antimalarial properties and is highly toxic.
Japanese health officials searched a factory owned by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical last month after the drug maker reported five deaths possibly linked to the dietary supplements.
