Brewer’s Yeast Vs Nutritional Yeast | Which Is Better For You?
Yeast is an vegan-friendly ingredient you’ll find in variety of baking cuisine and fermentation process. You’ll find variety of yeast in market used for different purposes but today we are going to talk about brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast. Both are varieties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and are frequently found in health food stores, their flavors and nutritional profiles differ significantly.
Beer-making leaves behind the brewer’s yeast. Brewer’s yeast is grown on malted barley, which gives it part of the unique bitterness. Additionally, brewer’s yeast can be grown particularly for dietary supplements. This yeast has high levels of protein, Chromium, selenium, and B-complex vitamins.
On the other hand, nutritional yeast is often cultivated on cane sugar or sugar beet molasses and is not a byproduct. Nutritional yeast has a mild, nutty taste compared to brewer’s yeast. Niacin, folic acid, zinc, thiamine, selenium, and other vitamins and minerals are all abundant in this kind of yeast.
In this article, based on various parameters we are going to discuss which is better between the two brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast.
What Is Brewer’s Yeast?
Brewer’s yeast is a byproduct of beer brewing (single-cell fungus/yeast). The same yeast is utilized while producing bread. The carbohydrates in the grains required to produce beer or bread are consumed by this yeast, a living creature that ferments them into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol.
In the process of creating bread, the yeast is still present but is rendered inactive by heat during baking. The yeast is taken out and boiled to render it inactive when producing beer. Then it is dried and turned into flakes or powder. This flaked or powdered yeast is the main ingredient in the Brewers Yeast dietary supplement sold at health food stores.
This yeast is particularly nutrient-dense because it absorbs a variety of proteins, minerals, and vitamins from the grains and other substances used in brewing beer. At the same time, it is still alive and active.
When dried yeast is taken as a dietary supplement, the body receives these nutrients as these nutrients are still present in the yeast. The trace mineral Chromium, which is essential for insulin to function as it should to transport glucose from the blood into the cell, is particularly abundant in brewer’s yeast.
What Is Nutritional Yeast?
The same kind of yeast used in the brewing business is used to make nutritional yeast. The distinction is that molasses, not grains, are used to create nutritional yeast. Deactivated, dried, and turned into flakes or powder is nutritional yeast.
B Vitamin content is high in nutritional yeast. For instance, nutritional yeast is the greatest and healthiest natural source of niacin (vitamin B3). Per 1 tablespoon (7-8g), it could have 15-20 mg of B3 (100–160% RDA).
However, because the B12 present in both varieties of yeast is not in a functional state, they shouldn’t be used as sources of this vitamin unless they are fortified with it. Nutritional yeast does not include Chromium, potassium, and selenium unless it has been fortified with these minerals, in contrast to Brewer’s yeast, which is a fantastic natural source of these nutrients.
Brewer’s Yeast Vs Nutritional Yeast | What’s The Difference
For thousands of years, yeast has been an essential part of the human diet. Beer, bread, and a variety of other baked goods all include this fungus. Yeast provides a variety of health advantages, including decreasing blood pressure and sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and increasing the immune system.
Below we have differentiated brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast on various parameters so that you can get a clear difference between the two and decide which one is suitable for you.
How Are They Made?
There are typically two ways to obtain brewer’s yeast:
- Developed using beets: It gains a little sweet, nutty, and cheesy flavor by breeding on sugar beets. Brewer’s yeast is often produced on beets, dried at a high temperature, and grown as a dietary supplement. The active enzymes are killed or deactivated throughout this procedure, resulting in non-living yeast that will never ferment.
- Grain Bred:On grains, particularly barley, brewer’s yeast is often produced. When it is produced as a byproduct of brewing beer, it has a faint bitter flavor.
Nutritional Yeast
Yeast normally grows for many days in a nutrient media to generate nutritional yeast. The primary component of the growth medium is glucose, which can be obtained from sugarcane or beet molasses. When the yeast is prepared, it is heated to deactivate it before being collected, cleaned, dried, and packaged.
Nutritional Profile
- Brewer’s yeast
Specific B vitamins, such as niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, and folic acid, are abundant in brewer’s yeast. In addition, it has a tonne of protein and fiber with very little fat. Brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast both come from sources that are great sources of magnesium.
Brewers often have a substantially greater mineral content. Like Chromium, which is essential for maintaining the health of cells and controlling blood sugar, both potassium and selenium are present in quite high concentrations.
- Nutritional Yeast
Proteins, fiber, riboflavin (B1), thiamine (B2), pyridoxine (B6), potassium, and zinc are all abundant in nutritional yeast. These nutritional advantages are the only ones offered by products made utilizing basic glucose manufacturing processes.
However, the majority of nutritional yeast supplements also contain synthetic nutrients for the substrate of development. This type of yeast cultivation produces a lot of certain vitamins and minerals. The final product’s nutritional makeup will depend on the precise makeup of the additional nutrients.
The majority of the nutrients that are naturally present in brewer’s yeast are present in these healthy yeast products. B12, a vital vitamin that vegans cannot obtain in their diet without the use of supplements, is present in these fortified goods.
How Are They Used?
- Brewer’s yeast
Like other conventional supplements, brewer’s yeast is often provided in pill form and consumed with water. It is often applied in complementary medicine to support digestive health. It has also been shown to be effective in treating a number of illnesses, such as the flu, colds, diabetes, and diarrhea.
Because the consumer hasn’t tasted the product, it won’t go through the traditional debittering process. Debittered materials come in two different forms: fine powder and thin flakes. Smoothies, protein shakes, and juices all benefit from using both types. When adding these items to beverages, it is advised to serve them with strong flavors or pair them with them.
- Nutritional Yeast
Since nutritional yeast cannot be substituted for active yeast in recipes, it is a distinct strain of yeast and is not the same as baking yeast. Many recipes call for dairy cheese, but nutritional yeast is an excellent substitute since it has a savory, cheesy, salty, and umami flavor that is similar to cheese.
Few individuals claim that it gives the food a nutty taste. When added to hot foods, it can become creamier while adding more texture to cold dishes. Many cheese enthusiasts top shredded cheeses, spaghetti, sautéed veggies, other cheeses, and even salads with it.
By any chance if you don’t have nutritional yeast handy, there are various substitutes for nutritional yeast such as dried mushrooms, cashews, soy sauce, etc which would give you similar results to that of nutritional yeast.
An important thing to note while using nutritional yeast is that make sure it has not gone bad because when exposed to oxygen frequently nutritional yeast goes bad which will degrade the quality of your recipe.
Health Benefits
- Brewer’s Yeast
Brewer’s yeast is a natural supplement that might improve immunological function and energy levels. It is a good source of protein, magnesium, Chromium, potassium, selenium, zinc, and iron. Digestive tract conditions such as diarrhea, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, and clostridium difficile colitis can be treated with brewer’s yeast.
A substance with Chromium’s physiologically active form, glucose tolerance factor (GTF), is found in brewer’s yeast. Due to the naturally occurring Chromium in brewer’s yeast, people with type 2 diabetes may benefit from better sugar management.
According to some research, Brewer’s yeast may boost the immune system and strengthen the body’s defenses against viral lung infections like the common cold and flu. Brewer’s yeast may also reduce the risk of skin cancer and preserve healthy skin, eyes, mouth, and hair. Brewer’s yeast pills have been reported in certain trials to also help people lose weight and produce less fat.
- Nutritional Yeast
Any meal may benefit from the flavorful addition of nutritional yeast, which is also a great method to up the diet’s nutritious content. It is a good source of fiber, protein, and vitamin B in all of its forms. The body needs vitamin B for a variety of functions as well as for general health. They may make us feel more alert and less worn out.
Additionally, it aids in the production of red blood cells. Antioxidants and important nutrients, including magnesium, zinc, Chromium, phosphorus, and selenium, are also present in this tasty yeast. This nutritious condiment contains beta-glucan, a particular fiber that boosts immunity, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and may even lessen the risk of cancer.
A number of strong antioxidants included in nutritional yeast guard our body’s cells from possible free radical harm. Additionally, it was discovered that the chromium-enriched yeast reduced cholesterol and fasting blood glucose levels in an animal model. Additionally, type 2 diabetics’ glucose sensitivity has improved as a result.
Brewers Yeast Vs Nutritional Yeast | Which Is Better For You?
Since Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the source of both varieties of yeast, they are closely related. However, because these yeasts are cultivated using various methods, their nutritional composition varies (foods). While nutritional yeast grows on molasses, brewer’s yeast grows on grains. Due to its high level of GTF Chromium, whose absorption is significantly greater than that of other sources like food and supplements.
Brewer’s Yeast is essential for people who require top quality Chromium to minimize sugar cravings, regulate blood sugar, and manage diabetes. While nutritional yeast has no minerals, brewer’s yeast is a considerably greater source of amino acids (protein), including a staggering 630 milligrams of potassium and 63 micrograms of selenium per 2 tablespoons.
Nutritional yeast is frequently offered for sale as flakes or granules. It tastes delicious and is a deep golden hue. It’s a wonderful source of fiber, B vitamins, and protein. Since animal products are the most frequent sources of vitamin B12, those who don’t eat them may find that they suffer from B12 deficiency.
A lack of vitamin B12 can cause anemia and other health issues. To maintain daily intake of vitamin B12 many vegans have vegan vitamin B12 supplements to support their diet. Magnesium is abundant in nutritional yeast and brewer’s yeast, hence a better option among these depends on an individual’s goals and recommendations by their doctor.
Conclusion
Yeast is frequently seen as a vegan meal that is very nutrient-dense and has several possible health advantages. As a result, it may be used to increase the number of minerals, vitamins, and proteins in food. Numerous studies indicate that brewer’s yeast and dietary supplements might increase immunity, decrease cholesterol, and prevent chronic illnesses. They can be taken as a supplement by anybody in safe and beneficial dosages.
