Ingredient Information

Function

In the food industry yeast is used to produce alcoholic beverages including spirits, wine and beer. Other species of yeast can break down sugars and make non alcoholic beer. When it comes to baking, another yeast species breaks down sugars and produces carbon dioxide, which results in making dough rise. Inactivated yeast has nutritious properties such as protein and vitamins; this is what makes it a dietary supplement. Yeast contains probiotic that help restore and maintain the intestinal flora.

Other Use and Industries

In bio technology, genetics and medicine, yeast is used as a model of an eukaryotic cells (like human cells yeast is an eukaryotic). Other species of yeast are used to remove pollutants from the environment. It can also produce bio fuels such as ethanol.

Health Effects

The species of yeast used for food and beverage preparations are usually not harmful to humans; these yeasts are typically dried or inactivated. If a person has been diagnosed with allergies to yeast, then products that contain yeast must be avoided. This includes things such as baked foods, fruits with their skin intact, grape juice and other products in which yeast is used. The signs of yeast allergies are similar to other allergy symptoms: sore throat, sneezing, itching, rash, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, throat swelling and others.
Some yeast species, like Candida albicans, are pathonogetic when they grow in moist areas of the human body. This includes the vaginal tract and the throat. The majority of vaginal infections come from an overgrowth of yeast. People with diabetes, especially in decompensate diabetic patients with high glucose levels, may suffer from repeated infections. Transplant patients who have depressed immune systems may develop throat and respiratory infections caused by yeast.

Origins

Yeast is a unicellular microorganism that naturally occurs. Basically what is happens, is the yeast is reproduced and harvested in a growth media that can be solid or liquid; like a potato dextrose (sugar), broth or molasses. Yeast grows best in a neutral or slightly acid pH environment. When the desired amount of yeast is obtained, it is dried and nothing else is added.