the deal with yeast - The Kind Life

the deal with yeast

Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Apr 16, 2010

I’ve seen a bunch of questions and comments on the site about yeast – whether or not it’s good for you, how often you should eat it, etc. Some of the recipes out there in the vegan world have yeast in them, but I don't use yeast in my recipes in The Kind Diet. For most recipes that call for it, you can try omitting it. They are often just as good without it.  

I asked my friend, the amazing Christina Pirello, who is a macrobiotic chef, author, and all around rockstar, to help me get to the bottom of the deal with yeast. She cured her terminal leukemia with a macro diet. I've written about Christina in my book, and a couple of her recipes are in there too. 

Here are my thoughts on yeast:  

Nutritional yeast is super yum and has a cheesy taste. Lots of vegans get excited about it because they feel it is a good source of b-12, but superheroes and the macro community feel like it's a bad guy, so I avoid it.   

When I first went Macro I had low signs of Candida. Yeast can create more yeast in the body if you are struggling with Candida like I was, so I started to avoid it. I feel so much better without yeast in my life. If I have bread, I get the yeast-free kind. French Meadow makes great yeast-free breads. And most sourdough breads are made without yeast. Just be sure to check the label.

I don’t get all psycho about yeast though. If something has yeast in it, I try my best to avoid it, but for instance, if I was at a party and someone made something to eat with yeast and it looked amazing, I would definitely eat it. If you are a flirt or a full-on vegan, enjoy the yeast, but if you want superhero status, be mindful to limit your intake.

You don’t have to eat yeast just because you need b-12 (see page 76 of The Kind Diet to learn why you need b-12). You can take a b-12 supplement once or twice a week, which will get the job done.  

Here is what Christina has to say about it:

In macrobiotics, it can be recommended to avoid yeast because a lot of people are ill and need to strengthen their digestive system. It is believed that yeast can inhibit digestion, because it can create expansion in the digestive tract at a time when people need to strengthen digestion. That said, there is nothing wrong with yeast if you are healthy and strong and well... no reason not to use it. I use it in small amounts in some of the breads I bake to create lightness... usually in combination with a sourdough starter so I get the best of both worlds... the fermented benefit of sourdough but the lightness of yeast, plus sourdough allows me to use less yeast. But in truth, there is no problem with yeast if your health and digestion is strong. 

I think that like most other 'issues' in macrobiotics, all the concerns and no-no's have been handed down to healthy people from a diet that was designed to help ill people regain their health. If you are healthy and well and eating a diet of unprocessed, seasonal, organic (where you can) whole food, prepared elegantly and simply in accordance to what you need in your life, then there are very few limits you need to worry about. Sugar is one of them, since we eat so much of it... but yeasted breads on occasion, nutritional yeast, no worries. In excess, yeast can weaken and compromise digestion, but you would need to eat a lot of it.   

Regarding b-12: There are no vegetable sources of b-12... not miso, tempeh, pickles, nada... no matter what counselors say. The b-12 that exists in miso, tempeh, etc. is called b-12 analog, and is not usable by the body. So to get proper amounts of b-12, you must supplement, because you would need a lot of nutritional yeast to get what you need, and I think that can cause more health issues in the intestines...in large quantities...than regular yeast. The only really strong sources of b-12 are animal products and sub lingual supplements and shots.

But before you start thinking about eating meat again because you’re worried about B-12 deficiencies, re-read Chapter 2 of The Kind Diet, which is all about how nasty meat is for you, and all of the health problems that eating meat causes. Just because meat has B-12 in it, doesn’t mean that being vegan isn’t natural for humans. Before the commercialization of agriculture, we could get plenty of B-12 from the soil and water on the veggies that we would pull from our gardens. See page 76 in The Kind Diet to learn more about that.

A big thank you to Christina for that info. Here are my closing thoughts on the subject:  

I am still going to buy yeast-free bread, and try to avoid products that involve yeast, but I will be more forgiving with it, and will try yummy recipes once in a while that have yeast in them (like the recipe I’m going to post later today!). I can’t wait to try it, and can’t wait to share it with all of you. So from now on I will be more relaxed about yeast than I used to be… but it will still be sort of a treat for me, not an everyday food.   

What are your thoughts on the yeast issue?

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35 Responses

christy morgan
Apr 29, 2010
28

Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is not the same as the yeast used in making bread or brewer's yeast. It's totally fine to eat (unless you are healing) and is delicious!

Mellissa Wilson
Apr 29, 2010
29

What about brewers Yeast? I am 37 weeks pregnant, and I am going the route of a home water birth with my incredible midwife and Doula. I have a fruit shake every morning with a scoop of brewers yeast, and I have to admit I feel awesome shortly afterwards. Does this count as one of the bad yeasts?-Mellissa

JUXTA DUNN
May 10, 2010
30

@Danielle - the difference between living plants and living animals is the somewhat significant fact that it takes far less energy to create a plant (versus an animal that eats loads of those plants, several times a day - or even worse an animal that eats an animal that eats an animal that eats plants....). Plants regenerate, proliferate, and are perfect for eating at the end of their lifecycle, and we can store their seeds, eat their seeds, and replant their seeds. Obviously we have to survive on something in order to be responsible care takers of the Earth, so why not choose the simplest, cleanest, and most efficient option when given the choice??

da mo
May 16, 2010
31

I was under the impression that yeast-free breads actually still contain yeast since they are made with sourdough. Sourdough may be made without the addition of actual yeast, but it is still picking up yeast from the air, isn't it? I have heard conflicting things about this... what's your opinion?

Teri Ramirez
May 21, 2010
32

I was also wondering about Brewer's Yeast. I'm a vegan and like to sprinkle it on air popped popcorn to give it a "cheesy" taste! I LOVE that to snack on, but I'm wondering if I need to stop eating that! I'm trying to become a Superhero, but very slowly.....4 days on and then 3 days I'm a regular vegan. I can always snack on my weekends, when I'm just a regular vegan, not a Superhero, but I was really wondering if Brewer's Yeast has to be eliminated from my diet if/when I become a full fledged Superhero.

Angela
Jul 4, 2010
33

Alicia,

You had a link to a Candida site. It is my understanding that if someone suffers from a Candida overgrowth, they are to eat meat products and low carb grains. Do you or anyone have any suggestions on how to be a vegetarian or vegan and eliminate candida overgrowth? It is all confusing to me. Thanks.

Tigs
Jul 9, 2010
34

Hi Angela,

There have been a series of informative posts under "Calling All Candida Sufferers". You can check out my Notes under my Profile to see my lists of anti-candida foods and supplements.

Good luck!

Akiine K. Ngarambe
Jul 30, 2010
35

There is a nutritional yeast called "Engevita yeast condiment". The package says that it's free from candida albicans yeast. Hopefully it means that, even if you suffer from candida, you'll be able to eat it! :D

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