Yeast is beneficial and harmful depending on many environmental factors, as well as the method and amount of their use.
Now the yeast is showing beneficial properties in many areas - from the food industry to the cosmetic industry.
The preparation of yeast bakery products is attractive because the dough is doubled when baking.
This effect was noticed many centuries ago, and since then, the yeast has proved to be beneficial for the body more than once.
But not all yeast is not always equally beneficial. In some cases, regular use of yeast causes more harm than good.
Yeast: composition, calories, as used
Mankind has been using yeast for a very long time, but they could understand their essence and principle of work only at the end of the 19th century. Groups of unicellular fungi found in liquid and semi-liquid substrates with an abundance of nutrients can be said about yeast in general. Yeast, unlike other types of fungi, can ferment, and die only at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius.
Scientists are working on the selection of ever new types of yeast.
It is conditionally possible to divide the most common human-used groups into:
• "live" bakery;
• liquid;
• dry;
• natural (for example, formed on the surface of grape berries);
• beer (can be found in the form of different dietary supplements).
Calorie content and the benefits of yeast for the human body is determined by their composition:
• protein (up to 66% of the total mass);
• amino acids;
• potassium;
• iron;
• phosphorus;
• magnesium;
• folic acid;
• chrome;
• methionine;
• lecithin;
• zinc;
• selenium;
• vitamins of groups B, C, H and P, and other minerals.
Yeast calorie content is quite low - only 75 kcal per 100 grams. At the same time, the yeast completely lacks carbohydrates, a low percentage of fat, but 12.7 grams of protein. In cooking, people use 4 types of yeast: preparing beer, bakery products, sour-milk products and wine drinks.
The yeast content in the human body is provided by default. They play an active role in human life, maintaining the condition of the skin, mucous membranes and ensure the proper functioning of the intestine. However, it is very important to maintain the balance of yeast in the body. What is dangerous about the excess of these mushrooms and about which yeast is harmful, we will tell further.
Yeast: what are the benefits for the body?
Consumers are becoming more attentive to the quality of their diet and other acquired products. More and more high-quality ingredients are used for the production of public goods, and yeast plays an important role in them. The medical, food, cosmetic and biotechnological industries actively use the beneficial properties of yeast.
Medical use of yeast
Scientific studies have proved the undoubted benefit of yeast in restoring metabolism. First of all, scientists pay attention to the protein content, which provides the best digestibility of useful substances, improves the intestinal absorption function. The protein in the yeast is no less significant for the human body than fish or meat protein.
Yeast: benefits for immunity
A person constantly needs to protect the body from the harmful effects of the environment. The immune system gives us effective protection against infectious and other diseases. The human body extracts the strongest immunostimulants β-glucans from the walls of baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In Asia, yeast is especially appreciated for the beneficial yeast extracts in the form of peptides and glutathione (a unique amino acid).
The gastrointestinal tract cannot go without yeast
About 100,000 billion bacteria of several hundred species participate in human digestion, and human health directly depends on the stability of this intestinal microflora. No matter how strange it may sound, but the baker's probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii help maintain a delicate balance of microflora and intestinal health.
Yeast is considered a natural dietary supplement, designed to stimulate the production of secretions in the stomach and improve intestinal function, to ensure the full functioning of the digestive tract in case of ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and other diseases of the digestive system.
Traditional healers use dry yeast to relieve symptoms of enterocolitis and colitis - add a teaspoon of yeast to 200 ml of fresh carrot juice and let the patient drink this mixture after 20 minutes.
Antioxidant Benefits of Yeast
Daily oxygen we breathe in oxidizes the cells of our body. Oxidative reactions are exacerbated by stress or pollution, and lead to oxidative stressful situations. In order to prevent damage to DNA or proteins, antioxidants act as a neutralizer on oxidizing factors and restore balance.
Selenium is recognized as one of the strongest antioxidants that perfectly copes with the regulation of oxidation in the body. It reduces the risk of cancer and is used for cancer of the intestine, prostate, lung, and is used for other types of cancerous tumors. Selenium contributes to the improvement of the thyroid gland and treats iodine deficiency diseases.
Unfortunately, up to 80% of the population are deficient in selenium. You can replenish it if you use yeast enriched with selenium, whose special benefit is in the bioavailable form of this antioxidant.
The creation and functioning of the cells of the human body is impossible without yeast. In some cases, they are prescribed even for diseases of the hematopoietic system, up to anemia.
Yeast: benefits for hair and skin
As soon as a person begins to use the yeast prescribed by the doctor, his skin, hair and nails immediately reflect this. The elasticity of the skin is restored, hair and nails become stronger, grow faster.
Both topical application of yeast and their use inside helps to cope with:
• dermatitis;
• acne;
• eczema;
• burns;
• seborrhea;
• dandruff.
The following masks can be used to nourish and improve the appearance of the skin:
• mix a teaspoon of honey with 20 grams of yeast, add a tablespoon of rye flour, pour four tablespoons of warm milk;
• mix kefir with 20 grams of yeast, the mask should have a consistency of thick sour cream.
Yeast masks for facial skin are applied to the cleansed face for no longer than 15 minutes, after which they are thoroughly washed off with warm water.
To strengthen the hair, dissolve half a packet of yeast with a teaspoon of sugar in a water bath. Leave until fermentation begins. Add a teaspoon of mustard and honey. Apply to hair roots, spread over the entire length and cover with a plastic bag or hat. Wrap a towel over it and leave for an hour and a half. Rinse hair thoroughly with water.
Doctors recommend combining external procedures and ingesting yeast. The course of treatment with yeast can reach three months
How much yeast a person needs per day
About 5-7 grams of yeast per day is enough for an average person. But the body requires more yeast in some conditions:
• weak immunity;
• constant stress;
• depression;
• anemia;
• neuralgia;
• burns;
• diseases of the skin, hair and nails;
• oncological diseases;
• metabolic disorders;
• problems with the digestive tract;
• intense mental and physical activity;
• lack of vitamins and nutrients in the diet;
• regions with the harmful effects of radiation or hazardous chemicals.
The proportions of nutrients in yeast are perfectly matched, substances complement each other and have a restorative effect. Yeast is suitable for vegetarians to replenish nutrients.
All the benefits of yeast are stored at temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius. If the yeast was subjected to heat treatment at higher temperatures, then the healing properties are completely leveled. Doctors recommend eating yeast with sugar, liquid, bran and other suitable supplements.
Yeast: what is the harm to health?
The above benefits of yeast are supplemented by some harm that they can cause if used improperly or if unnatural yeast is used.
Scientists have proven that yeast kvass, "live" beer, sour-milk products and grape wine are of exceptional benefit due to their types. But as far as yeast baking is concerned, there is almost unanimous opinion about the dangers of yeast in combination with flour and fats after processing at high temperatures. Dry substrates, which we used to add to baking, are especially dangerous.
Indeed, in many diseases, yeast has a saving effect. But yeast can do good and harm at the same time. When the balance of microorganisms is disturbed, the body is vulnerable to infections.
In bread and other baked goods using yeast, the harm undoubtedly exceeds the benefit. All the necessary substances are destroyed during baking, only those that cause fermentation processes, dysbiosis, fungal diseases (candidiasis) and even cancerous tumors remain.
Yeast is harmed when the body is saturated with them. As a result, the microflora is disturbed, pathogenic microorganisms penetrate into the blood. They reduce the body's resistance to the environment, contribute to speedy fatigue and provoke the rapid growth of a cancerous tumor.
Uncontrolled consumption of yeast and their products causes increased gas formation, constipation, kidney stones and gall bladder, pancreatic gland and pathology of vital organs.
Yeast for children: beneficial or harmful
Doctors prescribe brewer's yeast to children to maintain protein and carbohydrate metabolism with an unbalanced diet. Intensive loads, radiation and other injuries of the body, post-infectious rehabilitation, obesity and dystrophy, angular stomatitis are just some of the problems that beer brewers have no doubt in the fight against.
Indeed, in some cases, the doctor may prescribe brewer's yeast to children. But the side effects in the form of flatulence, diarrhea, dysbiosis, allergic reactions or intolerance make you seriously think before giving the child brewer's yeast. If you decide on this, then pay attention that you can’t give yeast to children before seven years old, or better, from 13-15 years old, when the child can understand if something goes wrong.
Brewer's yeast: what are their benefits
Brewer's yeast was originally intended for the manufacture of beverages. But humanity has proven their benefits to the body, and now it is a wonderful bioactive dietary supplement, which can be found in every pharmacy. Brewer's yeast, their benefits in lowering cholesterol, controlling blood sugar and maintaining a stable weight.
In addition, for medicinal purposes, you can use brewer's yeast with a nutrient deficiency, digestive disorders (constipation and diarrhea), vitamin deficiency and skin problems. But brewer's yeast is not only beneficial.
There are a number of conditions incompatible with brewer's yeast:
• flatulence, increased gas formation;
• use of drugs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors, antidepressants, narcotic painkillers, drugs for hypertension and diabetes mellitus);
• fungal infections;
• allergy;
• individual intolerance.
Despite all the benefits of brewer's yeast, do not be too lazy to consult a doctor before using them.
