Medicinal Yeast is known by many names including Dried Yeast Fermentate, Faex medicinalis, Levure de Biere and Levure Medicinale and the common name Brewer’s Yeast. The yeast is recommended for many health benefits because it offers an easy way of adding important nutrients to a healthy diet.

Although eating a healthy diet is recommended, it is highly unlikely to get all the good vitamins and minerals from a regular diet. Therefore, supplementing your diet with it can prove beneficial. You will soon discover you like the taste once you get used to the flavor

• About medicinal yeast

Brewer’s or medicinal yeast is a byproduct of brewing beer. The ingredients used to brew are grain, malt, and hops. Yeast often absorbs vitamins and nutrients from other ingredients used to brew. In addition to absorbing nutrients, the yeast also absorbs bitter flavors.

Nevertheless, some brewers choose to get rid of the bitterness, which often involves removing some nutritional content like chromium. Therefore, if you opt for this type of yeast, it is advisable to add some chromium supplement.

• Nutritional content

It is often difficult to know the nutritional content in a yeast package because it often varies between different batches and ages of the yeast. Nevertheless, brewer’s or medicinal yeast has high levels of nucleic count, which is an important component that contributes effectively to cell development. Additional vitamins and minerals present in the yeast are B12, Folic acid, Thiamin, Potassium, Chromium and Niacin. The low levels of calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium makes it effective for people who have dietary restrictions because of health reasons.

• Health benefits

Taking brewer’s or medicinal yeast everyday as a supplement in a healthy diet can help improve the following conditions: high cholesterol, diabetes, hypoglycemia, stress, nervousness, eczema, constipation, fatigue, anemia, and carpal tunnel. Furthermore, the yeast can be used to repel fleas, particularly when given to pets.

When choosing it to control diabetes, it is advisable to choose a product that has not gone through the process of debittering, which is a process that removes chromium that can help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and raise good (HDL) cholesterol.

• Side effects

It is advisable to consult with a healthcare provider before taking supplements, including medicinal yeast. This is particularly the case if you have hypoglycemia or diabetes, because the yeast can alter the way the system responds to sugar levels in the blood.

Brewer’s or medicinal yeast may not have serious side effects, although it can cause gas, bloating, and/or stomach upset in some people. If you have Candida, gout, high levels of uric acid or allergy to penicillin or mold, avoid taking brewer’s yeast.