Brewer's yeast
Scientific names: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Family: Saccharomycetaceae
Alternate names: Baker's Yeast, Dried Yeast Fermentate, Faex, Faex Medicinalis, Levadura de Cerveza, Levure, Levure de Biere, Levure de Bière Inactive, Levure de Boulangerie, Levure Fermentée, Levure Médicinale, Levure Sèche Déshydratée, Medicinal Yeast, Nutritional Yeast, S. cerevisiae
Actions: Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Gastrointestinal, Glucose-regulating, Immunologic
Background
Brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is used in beer brewing. It is sometimes used as a food additive and is also available as a dietary supplement.
Some brewer's yeast products contain live yeast, while others contain non-living yeast. Brewer's yeast is a source of B vitamins and protein. It also contains chromium, which might help the body use insulin better and lower blood sugar levels. Brewer's yeast also seems to increase enzymes in the stomach that could relieve diarrhea and improve the body's defense against viral infections like the flu.
People use brewer's yeast for diabetes, flu, diarrhea, high cholesterol, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Some brewer's yeast products contain live yeast, while others contain non-living yeast. Brewer's yeast is a source of B vitamins and protein. It also contains chromium, which might help the body use insulin better and lower blood sugar levels. Brewer's yeast also seems to increase enzymes in the stomach that could relieve diarrhea and improve the body's defense against viral infections like the flu.
People use brewer's yeast for diabetes, flu, diarrhea, high cholesterol, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Safety Safety definitions
When taken by mouth: Brewer's yeast is possibly safe for most people when taken short-term. A specific brewer's yeast product (EpiCor by Embria Health Sciences) that contains dried, non-living yeast has been safely used in doses of 500 mg daily for 12 weeks. Other brewer's yeast products that contain living yeast have been safely used in doses of 4-8 billion colony-forming units daily for up to 12 weeks. In some people, brewer's yeast can cause headache, stomach discomfort, and gas (flatulence).
There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe to use long-term or what the side effects might be. Stick with short-term use.
When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe or what the side effects might be.
Children: There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe for children, including very small premature infants.
Crohn disease: Brewer's yeast can make Crohn disease worse. Don't use brewer's yeast if you have Crohn disease.
Weakened immune system: There is some concern that brewer's yeast might increase the risk of blood infections in people with weakened immune systems. This includes people with HIV/AIDS or cancer, or people who have taken medicines to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ. If you have a weakened immune system, talk with your healthcare provider before taking a brewer's yeast supplement.
There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe to use long-term or what the side effects might be. Stick with short-term use.
When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe or what the side effects might be.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.Children: There isn't enough reliable information to know if brewer's yeast is safe for children, including very small premature infants.
Crohn disease: Brewer's yeast can make Crohn disease worse. Don't use brewer's yeast if you have Crohn disease.
Weakened immune system: There is some concern that brewer's yeast might increase the risk of blood infections in people with weakened immune systems. This includes people with HIV/AIDS or cancer, or people who have taken medicines to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ. If you have a weakened immune system, talk with your healthcare provider before taking a brewer's yeast supplement.
Effectiveness
NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
- A long-term disorder of the large intestines that causes stomach pain (irritable bowel syndrome or IBS). Taking brewer's yeast 500-1000 mg by mouth daily for 8-12 weeks reduces stomach pain and improves stools in people with IBS. It seems to take at least a month to start working.
Dosing & administration
There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of Brewer's yeast might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.
Interactions with pharmaceuticals
Lithium
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Some brewer's yeast contains lithium. Taking brewer's yeast along with lithium might increase how much lithium is in the body and result in serious side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider before using this product if you are taking lithium.
Medications for depression (MAOIs)
Interaction Rating=Major Do not take this combination.
Brewer's yeast contains a chemical called tyramine. Large amounts of tyramine can cause high blood pressure. Some medications used for depression stop the body from breaking down tyramine. This can cause too much tyramine in the body and dangerously high blood pressure.
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Brewer's yeast might lower blood sugar levels. Taking brewer's yeast along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely.
Medications for fungal infections (Antifungals)
Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.
Brewer's yeast is a yeast (a fungus). Medications for fungal infections help reduce fungus in and on the body. Taking brewer's yeast with medications for fungal infections can reduce the effects of brewer's yeast.
Interactions with herbs & supplements
Chromium-containing herbs and supplements: Brewer's yeast contains chromium. Taking it with other supplements that contain chromium can increase the risk of chromium poisoning. Examples of supplements that contain chromium include bilberry, cascara sagrada, and horsetail.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: Brewer's yeast might lower blood sugar. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might lower blood sugar too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include aloe, bitter melon, cassia cinnamon, chromium, and prickly pear cactus.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: Brewer's yeast might lower blood sugar. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might lower blood sugar too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include aloe, bitter melon, cassia cinnamon, chromium, and prickly pear cactus.
Interactions with foods
There are no known interactions with foods.
Products
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Per capsule:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewer’s yeast) 8.33 mg
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SB) 11.9 mg equiv. bakers yeast beta glucan 59.5 mg
- Yeast 8.3 mg equiv. chromium 16.67 µg
- Yeast 8.3 mg equiv. molybdenum 16.67 µg
- Yeast 8.3 mg equiv. selenium 16.67 µg
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii) (SB) 8.33 mg
- Bifidobacterium longum 1.33 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus brevis 0.67 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus helveticus 0.67 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus 0.67 billion CFU
- Streptococcus thermophilus 0.73 billion CFU
- Cordyceps sinensis powder 66.67 mg
- Ganoderma lucidum powder 66.67 mg
- Grifola frondosa powder 66.67 mg
- Lentinula edodes powder 66.67 mg
- Polyporus umbellatus powder 16.67 mg
- Tremella fuciformis powder 50 mg
- Apple pectin 100 mg
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 33.33 mg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SB) 11.9 mg equiv. bakers yeast beta glucan 59.5 mg
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewer’s yeast) 8.33 mg
- Yeast 8.33 mg equiv. chromium 16.67 µg
- Yeast 10.41 mg equiv. molybdenum 20.8 µg
- Yeast 24.6 mg equiv. selenium 49 µg
- Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis 1.33 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus acidophilus 1.33 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus casei 1.33 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus gasseri 0.67 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus paracasei 1.33 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus plantarum 1.33 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus reuteri 0.67 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus 0.67 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus salivarius 0.67 billion CFU
- Streptococcus thermophilus 0.67 billion CFU
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii) (SB) 8.33 mg
- Ganoderma lucidum powder 83.33 mg
- Colostrum - bovine 33.3 mg
- L-glutamic acid 33.3 mg
- Glutamic acid hydrochloride 33.3 mg
- Iberis amara ext. 33.3 mg
- Yucca gloriosa ext. 33.34 mg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Yeast 125 mg equiv. selenium 150 μg
- Potassium iodide 391.1 μg equiv. iodine 299 μg
- L-tyrosine 500 mg
Practitioner product
Per 3.5 g (Pineapple):
- Yeast 116.65 mg equiv. selenium 140 µg
- Allium sativum ext. 400 mg
- Glutathione 250 mg
- Alpha lipoic acid 400 mg
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 1 g
- Levomefolate glucosamine (Activated folate) 712 µg equiv. levomefolic acid 400 µg
- Zinc citrate dihydrate 62.60 mg equiv. zinc 20 mg
- Manganese sulphate monohydrate 2.46 mg equiv. manganese 800 µg
Practitioner product
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Per tablet:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Yeast) 86.95 mg equiv. selenium 100 μg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SB) 35.72 mg equiv. bakers yeast beta glucan 178.6 mg
- Yeast 25 mg equiv. selenium 50 µg
- L-glutamic acid 25 mg
- Glutamic acid hydrochloride 25 mg
- Echinacea angustifolia ext. 25 mg
- Cichorium intybus powder 33.19 mg
- Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 0.5 billion CFU
- Bifidobacterium bifidum 0.5 billion CFU
- Bifidobacterium infantis 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus acidophilus 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus brevis 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus casei 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus fermentum 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus gasseri 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus helveticus 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus paracasei 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus plantarum 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus reuteri 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus 0.25 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus salivarius 0.25 billion CFU
- Lipase 600 LipU
- Polyporus umbellatus powder 50 mg
- Grifola frondosa powder 50 mg
- Cordyceps sinensis powder 50 mg
- Ganoderma lucidum powder 25 mg
- Poria cocos ext. 25 mg
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 55 mg
- Iberis amara ext. 50 mg
- Apple pectin 25 mg
- Yucca gloriosa ext. 25 mg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Yeast 25 mg equiv. selenium 50 µg
- Lactobacillus plantarum (LP14) 1 billion CFU
- Grifola frondosa ext. 25 mg
- Silybum marianum ext. 87.5 mg
- Lutein 2.5 mg
- Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA01) 1 billion CFU
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 125 mg
- Bifidobacterium breve 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus casei 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus fermentum 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus reuteri 0.5 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus plantarum 0.25 billion CFU
- Tremella fuciformis ext. 12.5 mg
- Polyporus umbellatus ext. 25 mg
- Dunaliella salina 50 mg
- Cynara scolymus powder 50 mg
- Chlorella vulgaris 25 mg
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus 2.5 billion CFU
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SB) 47.62 mg equiv. bakers yeast beta glucan 232 mg
- Yeast 8.33 mg equiv. chromium 16.66 µg
- Yeast 10.42 mg equiv. molybdenum 20.83 µg
- Lactobacillus gasseri 0.67 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus plantarum 0.67 billion CFU
- L-glutamic acid 16.67 mg
- Glutamic acid hydrochloride 16.67 mg
- Cichorium intybus powder 44.44 mg
- Ganoderma lucidum powder 83.33 mg
- Polyporus umbellatus powder 16.67 mg
- Grifola frondosa powder 66.67 mg
- Cordyceps sinensis powder 50 mg
- Lentinula edodes powder 50 mg
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 33.33 mg
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii) (SB) 16.67 mg
- Iberis amara ext. 33.3 mg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SB) 50 mg equiv. bakers yeast beta glucan 250 mg
- Yeast 8.33 mg equiv. chromium 16.66 µg
- Yeast 10.42 mg equiv. molybdenum 20.8 µg
- Lactobacillus gasseri 0.75 billion CFU
- Lactobacillus plantarum 0.75 billion CFU
- L-glutamic acid 15 mg
- Glutamic acid hydrochloride 15 mg
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii) (SB) 17 mg
- Cichorium intybus powder 40 mg
- Ganoderma lucidum powder 92.5 mg
- Polyporus umbellatus powder 16.67 mg
- Grifola frondosa powder 66.67 mg
- Cordyceps sinensis powder 55 mg
- Lentinula edodes powder 55 mg
- Iberis amara ext. 36.6 mg
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 30 mg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Yeast 3.13 mg equiv. selenium 6.25 µg
- Magnesium citrate 647.25 mg equiv. magnesium 100 mg
- Zinc gluconate 19.23 mg equiv. zinc 2.5 mg
- Taurine 25 mg
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Per tablet:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewer’s yeast) 65 mg
- Magnesium phosphate 65 mg equiv. magnesium 13.4 mg
- Potassium phosphate dibasic 33 mg equiv. potassium 14.8 mg
- Lecithin 65 mg
- d-alpha-Tocopheryl acid succinate 10 mg equiv. vitamin E 12 IU
Practitioner product
Per 7 g:
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewer’s yeast)
- Brassica oleracea var. acephala (leaf) powder (Kale)
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa powder
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina)
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Inulin (Dietary fibre)
- Acacia sp. (gum)
- Fagopyrum esculentum (leaf)
- Fragaria ananassa (Strawberry)
- Ananas comosus (Pineapple)
- Malus (Apple)
- Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon)
- Siraitia grosvenorii (Monk fruit)
- Spinacia oleracea (Spinach)
- Daucus carota powder (Carrot)
- Lycium barbarum (fruit)
- Brassica oleracea var. italica (sprout) powder
- Curcuma longa (rhizome)
- Malpighia glabra (fruit) powder
- Medicago sativa
- Punica granatum
- Rubus idaeus
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Fructooligosaccharides
- Pyrus communis (Pear)
- Lentinula edodes
- Urtica dioica
- Mentha x piperita
- Laminaria digitara (Kelp)
- Green banana starch
- Oryza sativa (Rice fibre)
- Xanthan gum
- Rhodophyta (Red seaweed)
- Berry flavour
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Per 8 g:
- Nutritional yeast flakes (Dried yeast)
- Chicken, bones
- Chicken, roasted
- Allium schoenoprasum dry
- Allium sativum powder
- Apple cider vinegar
- Pink Himalayan crystal salt
- Rosmarinus officinalis ext.
- Allium cepa powder
- Piper nigrum (seed) oil
- Tapioca
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Per 6 g:
- Nutritional yeast flakes (Dried yeast)
- Fermented soybean paste (Miso)
- Daucus carota powder (Carrot)
- Spinacia oleracea (Spinach)
- Brassica oleracea var. acephala (leaf) powder (Kale)
- Pumpkin powder
- Sweet potato powder
- Brassica oleracea var. italica (seed) powder
- Pink Himalayan crystal salt
- Oryza sativa (Brown rice protein)
- Curcuma longa powder
- Arctic sea algae
- Laminaria digitara (Kelp)
- Petroselinum crispum powder
- Allium schoenoprasum powder
- Piper nigrum powder
- Sea salt
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Per 8 g:
- Nutritional yeast flakes (Dried yeast)
- Beef bones
- Beef
- Apple cider vinegar
- Hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides
- Sea salt
- Tapioca
- Piper nigrum
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Per 8 g:
- Nutritional yeast flakes (Dried yeast)
- Beef bones
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt
- Hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides
- Allium schoenoprasum
- Allium sativum
- Allium cepa
- Piper nigrum
- Tapioca
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Per 8 g:
- Nutritional yeast flakes (Dried yeast)
- Beef bones
- Curcuma longa powder 160 mg
- Apple cider vinegar
- Pink Himalayan crystal salt
- Hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides
- Piper nigrum
- Tapioca
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Per 8 g:
- Nutritional yeast flakes (Dried yeast)
- Beef bones
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt
- Hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides
- Tapioca
- Grifola frondosa
- Lentinula edodes
- Piper nigrum
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Natural Medicines rates safety based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Likely Safe, Possibly Safe, Possibly Unsafe, Likely Unsafe, Unsafe, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. For more information about Natural Medicines’ Safety Rating System, click here.
The Natural Medicines Effectiveness Ratings are assigned for specific indications. A product might be rated "Possibly Effective" for one condition, but be rated "Likely Ineffective" for another condition, depending on the evidence. For more info click here.
