Brewer’s Yeast

Get all the latest from Natural Health Techniques delivered directly to your inbox when you join our newsletter here.

Stay in touch:

Sign up for occasional updates/videos/tips/specials and receive the Fast-Start Bonus Report with or 150 Tips and Tricks to optimize your health today!

 Brewer’s Yeast

(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

  • Alias names for Brewer’s Yeast: Brewer’s yeast, Faex medicinalis, levure de bière and medicinal yeast. **Brewer’s yeast should not be confused with; nutritional yeast, baker’s yeast, torula yeast, or the yeast that leads to Candida albicans.

Pictures of Brewer’s Yeast:

Brewer’s Yeast 1

Brewers Yeast in a bowl

Picture Reference for Brewer’s Yeast pictures: https://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-brewersy.html

About Brewer’s Yeast: Brewer’s yeast is the dried, pulverized cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of fungus. Brewer’s yeast is an inactive yeast, meaning the yeasts have been killed and have no leavening power which is probably why many people think that it is not responsible for yeast infections.

Brewer’s yeast is used in the beer-brewing process. Brewer’s yeast can also be grown for harvest as a nutritional supplement when grown with Vitamin B12. When it’s grown with vitamin B12, brewer’s yeast is the supplement of choice for some vegetarians, especially vegans (strict vegetarians who eat no meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy products).

Brewer’s yeast has a very bitter taste. Yeast sold in health food stores; in bulk or in bottles, may not be real brewer’s yeast so it’s best to choose a name and source you can trust.

While some believe Brewer’s yeast may cause yeast infections and chronic fatigue syndrome, this has been for the most part, disclaimed. True brewer’s yeast is different from the yeast that causes Candida albicans.

Brewer’s yeast is available as a powder, flakes or tablets.

Historical Uses of Brewer’s Yeast and How it Works:

  • Burn treatment
  • Cholesterol (High)
  • Cholesterol-induced heart disease
  • Diabetes (Adult-onset Type II, Regulation of blood sugar levels)
  • Diarrhea (infectious)
  • Eczema
  • Immune system improvement
  • Increased energy
  • Nervous disorders (because it’s high in B-Vitamins)
  • Reduces wrinkling and helps treat skin challenges
  • Skin detoxifier (topical application)
  • Stress relief (Again because of the high B-Vitamin content)
  • Wound healing agent

Properties of Brewer’s Yeast: Brewer’s yeast is a splendid source of B-complex vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, protein (essential amino acids which make up about 50% of its weight) and several important minerals, in particular; calcium, iron, potassium, selenium and chromium. Brewer’s yeast may change bacterial flora in the large intestine.

What is the difference between Brewer’s yeast, torula yeast and nutritional yeast? Well, Brewer’s yeast and torula yeast are frequently confused with nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a primary grown food crop, which means it is cultivated specifically for use as a nutritional supplement. This yeast is dried at higher temperatures than baking yeast, rendering it inactive. Unlike the live yeasts used in bread making and brewing, nutritional yeast has no fermenting or leavening power. Baker’s yeast, which is used to make yeast breads, can rob your body of valuable B vitamins. Food yeasts are not infective because they are not alive like the type of yeast that is responsible for Candida yeast infections.

Contraindications, safety issues, concerns, harmful drug interactions and allergy precautions for Brewer’s Yeast: If you have diabetes or hypoglycemia, consult your doctor before taking. Do not take if you have candidiasis, gout, or high blood levels of uric acid. Use with caution if you have a known allergy to yeast or molds. Sensitive people may experience migraine-like headaches, itching, local or generalized rash and skin eruptions or edema. Discontinue if experiencing high blood pressure or if you are taking MAO inhibitors (some forms of antidepressants) or if you are currently taking drugs for fungal infections. May cause gas in individuals whose diets are low in B vitamins. Take on an empty stomach unless indigestion occurs; then take with food.

Nutritional Sources of Yeast: In some markets, particularly Australia and the UK, specific human foodstuffs (Vegemite and Marmite) have been developed from brewer’s yeast. Ghastly stuff!

Helpful Links and References for Brewer’s Yeast:

These products are not drugs, but foods for special dietary use pursuant to applicable Federal law. No statement in this page shall be construed as offering these products for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease.