Brewer\u2019s yeast is a nutrient-rich food with many health benefits. This budding yeast is good for the gut and may boost both energy and immunity. However, it has some side effects and is not good for everyone. Read on to learn about the pros and cons of eating brewer’s yeast.<\/p>\n
Brewer\u2019s yeast was originally produced as a by-product of beer brewing and has a bitter taste. Nowadays, it is dried and used as a nutritional supplement [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Specifically, it is made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae<\/i><\/a>, a type of yeast that has been used in brewing and baking since ancient times [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n S. cerevisiae <\/i>has a wide arrange of purported beneficial health effects like lowering cholesterol, enhancing the immune system<\/a>, and decreasing inflammation [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n “Brewer’s yeast” can refer to:<\/p>\n Supplemental brewer\u2019s yeast is typically grown on a medium of corn and other types of grain.<\/p>\n Brewer’s yeast is high in protein, B-vitamins, and chromium<\/a> (some of the newer \u201cdebittered\u201d forms don\u2019t have chromium) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n However, the nutritional profile varies depending on the grain on which the yeast is grown, how it is processed, and whether it has been fortified with added nutrients [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In general, S.cerevisiae<\/i> has:<\/p>\n Out of all these ingredients, the most interesting ones to many modern researchers are beta-glucans, nicotinamide riboside, and DNA and RNA nucleotides. Nucleotides in whole foods have recently been associated with increased energy and possibly even cognitive function [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast are close relatives, so it’s easy to confuse them. Nutritional yeast is also made from S. cerevisiae; <\/i>the difference is in how the yeast is cultivated [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Their nutritional profile is also similar. Both are a rich source of B vitamins, which support the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Unlike nutritional yeast, brewer\u2019s yeast is also high in iron<\/a>, selenium<\/a>, zinc<\/a>, and potassium<\/a>. Brewer’s yeast is also a good source of protein, providing essential amino acids that the body doesn\u2019t make by itself [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Although nutritional yeast is also a good source of protein and B-vitamins, it contains little to no chromium. It is usually fortified with vitamin B12<\/a> and folic acid (B9) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n And unlike brewer\u2019s yeast, nutritional yeast has always been cultivated specifically for its nutrition. It\u2019s grown on glucose<\/a> medium, making it gluten-free; depending on the medium it\u2019s grown on, brewer\u2019s yeast may contain gluten [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Nutritional yeast is S. cerevisiae<\/i> that is grown solely for supplemental use. It is usually fortified with vitamin B-12 and folic acid.<\/p>\n Supplemental brewer\u2019s yeast has not been approved by the FDA for medical use. Supplements generally lack solid clinical research. Regulations set manufacturing standards for them but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing.<\/p>\n The following purported benefits are only supported by limited, low-quality clinical studies. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of brewer\u2019s yeast for any of the below-listed uses. Remember to speak with a doctor before taking brewer\u2019s yeast as a supplement, and never use it in place of something your doctor recommends or prescribes.<\/p>\n Many of these effects are mediated by the presence of prebiotics<\/b> in S.cerevisiae<\/i> (i.e. beta-glucans and mannan-oligosaccharides) as well as nucleotides [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Brewer\u2019s yeast improved the outcome of C. difficile<\/i>-associated diarrhea in humans, but the evidence is limited to a few individual cases [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n However, brewer’s yeast lacks the probiotic effects, such as enhanced nutrient absorption and additional gut microbiome<\/a> benefits. These are limited to supplements with live S. cerevisiae<\/i><\/a> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Saccharomyces boulardii<\/i><\/a> is the only variant of yeast currently approved for probiotic<\/a> use in humans because of its clinical effectiveness in treating diarrhea and other gut disorders. Talk to your doctor before using brewer\u2019s yeast to manage diarrhea or any other gut condition [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Brewer’s yeast is naturally rich in glucose tolerance factor (GTF), a compound that contains a biologically-active form of chromium [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n GTF decreased blood sugar, triglyceride, and<\/b> LDL<\/b><\/a> (\u201cbad\u201d) cholesterol levels and increased levels<\/b> of <\/b>HDL<\/b><\/a> (\u201cgood\u201d) cholesterol <\/b>in rats and humans with type 2 diabetes [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n It also prevented kidney and eye damage in diabetic animals [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Glucose tolerance factor achieves these effects by mimicking insulin<\/a>. It can:<\/p>\n Glucose tolerance factor also enhanced the activity of insulin,<\/b> helping it to bind to cells [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Though some human studies have produced promising results, much more research is required to determine whether brewer\u2019s yeast has a role in managing diabetes.<\/p>\n\n
Nutrition<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Is Brewer’s Yeast the Same as Nutritional Yeast?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Benefits of Brewer\u2019s Yeast<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Insufficient Evidence For<\/span><\/h3>\n
1) Gut Health & Diarrhea<\/h4>\n
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2) Type 2 Diabetes<\/h4>\n
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