Nutritional Yeast Benefits

Nutritional yeast is the deactivated form of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is called the "vegetarians' proteins" as it is a rich source of protein while still containing a number of other nutrients. Nutritional yeast is grown on cane sugar and molasses. It is then harvested, washed, dried and sold either in the form of flakes or powder. The color of nutritional yeast may range from yellow to brown depending upon the manufacturer. The various nutritional yeast benefits have made this nutritional supplement a popular choice for many, specially amongst vegetarians.

Nutritional Benefits of Yeast

With 18 amino acids, nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It is up to 55% high quality protein. In addition, it has 15 minerals in it. For vegetarians and those who are on a low cholesterol diet, yeast is a great substitute for meat, dairy products or other sources of proteins that are also rich in fats.

Once the 'yeast connection' had been highlighted in case of a number of infections, any food that had yeast was labeled 'bad food'. However, that's not the case with nutritional yeast. There are various types of yeast and some are good, whereas some are harmful. The yeast, like fungus, that is mainly mentioned in the 'yeast connection' is Candida albicans. Primarily grown yeast,(which is different from brewer's yeast) is grown on a mixture of molasses and cane sugar. It undergoes pasteurization in the final stages. Hence, it is guaranteed to be free from the notorious Candida albicans. It is also a gluten free product.

One of the important health benefits of nutritional yeast is that it is a rich source of vitamin B complex, that helps in managing stress levels, maintains a good metabolic rate, prevents cancer of the pancreas and ensures a healthy skin. In fact vitamin B12 which is deficient in most vegetarian foods, is also added in certain varieties of nutritional yeast. This vitamin is produced separately from bacteria and then added to yeast to increase its health benefits.

Nutritional yeast consists of a trace mineral - chromium, which is known as Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). It is beneficial for dealing with diabetes, low blood pressure and fluctuating blood sugar levels. Other elements that it is rich in, are manganese, copper, vanadium, molybdenum and lithium.

Other health benefits include:

• It maintains ideal intestinal ecology.
• It improves blood production.
• It helps in maintaining optimum cholesterol levels.
• It improves liver health and function.

Including Nutritional Yeast in Diet

Besides the health benefits of nutritional yeast flakes or powder, it is the nutty and cheese like flavor that also has a role to play in popularizing this supplement. It is favored by many as a cheese substitute. Here are some ways in which it can be included in the diet:

• Use it as a topping for popcorn, instead of butter and salt.
• Put in on your scrambled eggs.
• Use it for its cheesy flavor in pizzas, pastas and casseroles.
• Add to soup to give it a creamy taste without adding milk.
• Use it with fried or mashed potatoes.
• Can be used with gravies and sauces.
• Mix it with vinegar and oil and use as salad dressing.
• Mix 1 tablespoon with every 2 cups of vegetable mixture for burgers.
• Add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to each cup of flour while making baked foods.

What is best about yeast is that it is a tasty way of staying healthy. Just sprinkle a few flakes in your soup or in your breakfast cereal, and what you would have is a food fortified with proteins, vitamins and minerals.