Every so often someone asks me to leave the yeast out of their superfood. They have been told that yeast is bad for them, especially if they are fighting Candida. I understand the worry, but it comes from mixing up two very different things. The yeast in a good superfood blend is not the yeast that raises your bread, and it is not the yeast that overgrows in the body. It is a food, and one of the most nourishing foods we have.
Three Kinds of Yeast
- Baker’s yeast is alive. It is sold active, so it can feed on sugar and give off the gas that makes bread rise. This is the yeast people picture when they hear the word.
- Brewer’s yeast is left over from brewing beer. It is usually deactivated too, but it often tastes bitter from the hops.
- Nutritional yeast is grown on purpose as a food, usually on beet molasses or cane sugar. When it is ready, it is heated enough to stop all yeast activity, then dried into golden flakes. It cannot grow, multiply or ferment anything. It is no longer a living yeast at all.
Why It Is Not a Candida Problem
Candida is a different organism altogether, one that overgrows in the body when the diet is full of sugar and refined foods and the bowel is sluggish. Nutritional yeast is not Candida, and because it has been deactivated, it cannot feed Candida, join it or start an overgrowth of its own. Eating it is no different from eating any other cooked, dried food. What feeds Candida is sugar and white flour, not a spoonful of golden flakes.
A true allergy to yeast is a different matter, and it is rare. Someone who truly reacts to yeast proteins should leave it out. But that is not the same as being afraid of yeast because of Candida.
What Nutritional Yeast Gives You
- Complete protein. About half of it is protein, with all the essential amino acids the body needs to rebuild itself.
- B vitamins. It is one of the richest sources of B vitamins we have, the vitamins the nerves, the brain and the energy of every cell depend on. We use a fortified flake, which adds B12 as well.
- Minerals. Iron, zinc, selenium and many others.
- Beta-glucans. A special fiber in the yeast cell wall that supports the immune system.
That is why nutritional yeast is the largest part of our superfood blend. Leave it out, and what is left is mostly green herbs and peels, good in themselves but missing the protein and B vitamins that make the blend a real food. See Superfood: Raw Material for Healing.
A Warm Flush
A fortified yeast is rich in niacin, one of the B vitamins. At a larger serving, some people feel a warm, tingling flush in the skin for a little while. It is harmless and passes on its own; if it bothers you, use a smaller amount and build up.
How to Enjoy It
Stir it into your superfood drink, or sprinkle the flakes on popcorn, salads, potatoes, soups and steamed vegetables. It has a rich, cheesy, nutty flavor, which is why so many people who avoid dairy love it.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
