Most bread contains the “alive” ingredient, yeast. Since ancient times, bakers have relied on this additive to make delicious bread for us. Still, aside from making bread more luscious, is yeast as healthy as many people believe?

To understand how yeast can affect us, it is necessary to define the various types of yeast that are known to the world. These are brewer’s yeast (the beer brewing additive), baking yeast (the main ingredient in bread), and nutritional yeast (dietary supplement). In this post, I’ll explain what baker’s yeast does to the human body.

The Science of Baker’s Yeast

Baker’s yeast is a popular additive for commercial and in-home use. It comes in different forms ranging from liquid to powder. Depending on what we use it for, we can choose between three types of yeast: cake yeast, active yeast and instant dry yeast.

Scientifically, yeasts are microorganisms similar to a fungus. When mixed with sugar, they support the production of carbon dioxide, a process that is also known as fermentation. It is exactly the process of forming carbon dioxide bubbles that makes our dough rise in size.

During the fermentation process, the yeast produces acids. Accordingly, these acids give the flavor of our baking creations thus making them even more delicious.

Is Yeast Dangerous For Our Health?

According to evidence, yeast is not a dangerous food additive for most healthy adults. However, there are some instances when yeast can pose a danger to our healthy lifestyle. Still, let’s deep dive into the benefits of yeast first.

The main benefits

Yeast is advantageous to our body due to numerous reasons. It contains proteins and Vitamin B, which are famous supporters of many vital body functions. Moreover, yeast is part of the healthy bacteria in our gut. Therefore, the right amount of yeast can help our organism to absorb other proteins and minerals.

If we use yeast in a small amount and don’t overeat yeast products, this living additive can be quite good for our health. Also, bread is one of the main components of a good vegan diet. Although many believe that it can make us fat, research has proved exactly the opposite.

Bread made with yeast is definitely the most delicious one. This statement, however, is true only for some people. Even if many people agree that yeast bread is yummy, they still find some no-yeast alternatives to be as good as traditional yeast bread loaves.

Below I will mention some of the main benefits of baker’s yeast:

• Healthy skin
• Immune system support
• Energy and metabolism booster
• Supports gut health
• Lower blood sugar levels

How yeast can benefit us will depend a lot on the brand and type of yeast we use. Some yeast contains alternative additives (Vitamin D) that make it healthier than others. Therefore, if you want to become a professional baker, you might want to take a closer look at different brands of yeast on the market.

The main drawbacks

In some cases, baker’s yeast can turn into a dicey additive, especially if we overuse it. According to research, it can cause problems such as allergy, skin rashes, bloating, and diarrhea. Let’s not forget that yeast is an alive ingredient, and as such, it can store and live in our body as well. In fact, this can be dangerous.

Many people believe that yeast products may make us fat. Hundreds of diets around the globe, exclude yeast-based products from the list of diet goodies. But is this entirely true?

There is no scientific evidence that yeast, in normal amounts, can make us fatter. Well, if you overeat bread-based products, you will gain weight for sure. However, everything is very individual, and it will depend on all the foods that you eat combined together.

The Takeaway

Yeast is one of the oldest food additives on our planet. How would bread look and taste like without this magical ingredient?

In recent times, many have decided to substitute for no-yeast bread. Their decision is mainly based on health issues or diet concerns. It is definitely true that in many cases no yeast bread will be healthier than traditional yeast bread.

Whether or not you are a fan of yeast, it has numerous benefits and very few scientifically proven side effects. Yeast may support our immune system, metabolism and help fight some ailments. However, if we consume too many yeast products, they may have negative consequences on our well-being.