A Bit About Nutritional Yeast

A while back, reader Joan mentioned in the comments section that she’d like to hear a little more about nutritional yeast. This is the yellow powder that you often see me add to my salads and to my homemade popcorn. It has a light cheesy flavor and a powdery texture.

I purchased my first container of nutritional yeast quite a few years back and never finished it (it expired just recently and I had to throw out almost a full tub.) At that time, I wasn’t as into eating for ‘nutrients’ as much as I was for ‘macronutrient ratios’ (protein, fat, carbs) so I always forgot to pull it out of the pantry and use it. Then after reading “The Thrive Diet” this year by Brendan Brazier I was reacquainted with its benefits.

Now before you think I just read willy-nilly and do whatever Brendan writes (or other authors for that matter) I want to point out that Brendan is a PROFESSIONAL (and VEGAN) Ironman Triathlete and ultramarathoner who has done extensive research on how to care for his body to ensure the fastest recovery time between workouts so that he could train and stay healthy and injury-free, all while not eating any animal products. This has been a passion of his since he was 15. I am inclined to put a fair amount of stock in the athletic/nutritional studies of someone who can swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and THEN run a full marathon (and does this for a living). If you haven’t read his book, I highly recommend it, whether you are an athlete or not, and whether you eat meat or not. He has a lot of good information on the effects of nutritional stress on our bodies.

So, that all said – nutritional yeast is popular among vegetarians for its B-vitamin content, namely B12, because B12 is one vitamin that isn’t found as much in plant-based food sources.

Having given up all meat outside of the very occasional seafood, making sure I was getting enough B12 was a priority to me. There are many reasons to avoid a B12 deficiency, but one reason that ranked high for me was to avoid low energy and anemia (since B12 helps with formation of red blood cells).

I purchased another big tub of these savory flakes at Whole Foods and started adding it to a lot of my food. It hides very well, mixes well, melts into soups and chilis and works like sprinkle cheese in a variety of foods. I can tell you that this time I will use up the whole tub before it expires!

One thing to note is that oftentimes you will see Brewers Yeast and Nutritional Yeast discussed interchangeably. They are not.

Additionally nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast, which means it is generally considered fine for those on an anti-candida diet.*

Now here’s the catch: I’ve been doing some additional reading on the topic of nutritional yeast in preparation for this post and found that not all nutritional yeast brands contain vitamin B-12, so you want to look for one that has the fortification (if that’s the reason you have for eating nutritional yeast to begin with).

Come to find out today that my brand is NOT! The front of the can says ” Natural Source of B Vitamins”! Which would lead one to believe that includes B-12. Not so much! Go figure! I’ll be sure to get the RIGHT one next time!

So, if you are interested in adding nutritional yeast to boost your B-12 intake, READ YOUR LABELS CLOSELY! And select a brand that includes the B-12.

What is your favorite use of Nutritional Yeast (if you currently use it)? I think I would vote for the popcorn topping!
If you’d some further reading on nutritional yeast, here are a few links:

http://www.lesaffrehumancare.com/nutrition-health-ingredients/nutritional-benefits-of-yeast.html
http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/vegeat/news/archive/2006/03/21/nutritional-yeast-or-brewers-yeast.aspx
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/nutritional-yeast-benefits.html

*Before embarking on any nutrition, supplementation or fitness regimen, please consult with your physician.

14 Responses to "A Bit About Nutritional Yeast"

Marisa Heisinger says:

October 20, 2012 at 1:28 pm

Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this amazing site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the information!

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Samia says:

July 13, 2012 at 10:38 am

For taste and texture, nothing beats Gayelord Hauser brand nutritional yeast. As far as B12 is concerned, the fortified brands of NY don’t contain enough, anyway. I’d say that a vegan needs a lot more, so take a tablet or drops of B12 instead.

Strangely, the container of Gayelord Hauser Yeast says “Brewers Yeast”, but it is not. It is grown on molasses.

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Kitty says:

March 23, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Omni–I’ve been using Kal. It’s definitely grown on me, haha. I was nibbling on it with a spoon about two minutes ago >.>

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shelley says:

March 16, 2011 at 7:58 pm

aloha shari!

i’m new to your site… nice! thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

just wanted to mention that “Red Star Nutritional Yeast” in the bottle labeled “Vegetarian Support Formula” is very high in B12, perhaps the highest available, and it tastes great!

i’m learning more and more about food and nutrition this year as i’ve transitioned to a vegan diet and need to watch for B12 now! check out my vegan food blog if you like at http://www.myfoodevolution.blogspot.com

happy eating, and living!

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1. Shari B. says:
  
  March 18, 2011 at 12:07 pm
  
  Hi Shelley! thank you so much for commenting and WELCOME! I LOVE seeing new faces here!
  
  Thank you for the info – I’d read that Red Star does have B12, but I haven’t tried that brand yet (to be honest, I haven’t found it at my local health food store, but I was fortunate to find a brand that DID contain B12 finally!)
  
  Hope to *see* you around FitFeat again soon! And I’ll be swinging by your blog to say hello as well!
  
  Reply
Joan says:

January 4, 2010 at 4:52 pm

Thank you so much for this great information!! I recently bought about a cup full from the bulk section. I read the label on the bin and it did say “great source for B vitamins”. I’ll double check for B-12. Since I take a B complex supplement I wondered how much I’d use, but tried it anyway and like it. I had it in oatmeal and it made it so creamy. Also have tried it sprinkled over salad. Pop corn is next. I also buy liquid B-12 anyway, so we’ll see if I keep to the NY. But I think multiple ways of adding vites to our diet can’t be a bad think. Mix it up I say.

I’m glad you mentioned the yeast thing…not a problem for me but I do try to keep it in mind for some reason and buy yeast free supplements when available that way.

Thanks for the great info!
.-= Joan´s last blog ..Mulch, Compost or Fertilizer? =-.

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1. Shari B. says:
  
  January 5, 2010 at 5:42 pm
  
  Hi Joan! I totally agree about getting vitamins from varies sources. I stopped taking a multi on a regular basis and hope I get a lot from my food -but every once in a while when I feel like I might have had too many processed or lifeless foods, I’ll throw in a daily vitamin here and there. I may look into liquid B-12 – I have some dessicated liver tablets from my ‘high protein’ days that I will take if I feel my iron or B12 are low, but I would PREFER not to since I know it comes from an animal.
  
  Thanks for the topic suggestion!
  
  Reply
  1. Joan says:
    
    January 6, 2010 at 6:57 pm
    
    I really don’t know what they make liquid B12 from, animal or vegan…I should look that up but I do know we vegetarians miss out on it alot. Paul Pitchford (Healing with whole foods) says only buy primary yeast grown on molasses or sugar beets, and get that which is enriched with calcium as the high phosporus content depletes cal. Is that what kind you get? He also indicates it can induce candida, so I’m a bit confused. maybe there are active and inactive NY options? I’ll have to look into that too.
    .-= Joan´s last blog ..Did I Miss You? =-.
    
    Reply
    1. Shari B. says:
      
      January 7, 2010 at 6:14 am
      
      Hi Joan,
      
      I’ve read that too in Paul’s book. He lists nutritional yeast as “aka brewer’s yeast” and the two aren’t the same thing, from everything else I’ve read. I believe the kind that I have is grown on molasses. I’ve found further reading I’ve done to distinguish between the two, w/ brewer’s yeast being a no-no for candida, and NY being ok. I’ve read numerous other items stating that NY is completely inactive yeast, and as such not yeast-promoting in the body. However, because I’m not an RD I suggest that if someone has candida concerns they definitely discuss it with their health professional and go from there, as well as do their own research.
      
      Reply
      1. Joan says:
        
        January 7, 2010 at 9:44 am
        
        Oh thank you, that clears up my confusion. I missed the ‘brewers yeast’ thing. I’ll definately look for the inactive kind.
        .-= Joan´s last blog ..Did I Miss You? =-.
      2. Shari B. says:
        
        January 7, 2010 at 4:09 pm
        
        HI Joan,
        
        You know, it’s so hard to know what we’re getting with so many of these supplements. It’s big part of why I don’t like to use very many — you feel that way too I think. I certainly would never presume to think I know more than Paul Pitchford – I think he’s awesome and I LOVE the Healing w/ Whole Foods book. What a GREAT reference to have around. I think it’s the biggest and most expensive book I’ve ever invested in and TOTALLY worth it. It just struck me as interesting that he lumped the two together. Who knows who is right amongst all of the authors out there? One of these years I’ll get to live my dream of going to school for holistic nutrition… someday….!
      3. Joan says:
        
        January 7, 2010 at 6:56 pm
        
        ohh holistic nutrition would be cool if you did that!
        actually I do take a lot of supplements, but not as much as many people do. I do wonder about the quality and purity of them but feel I don’t get the nutrients I need from food. Today’s food just lacks I think and I know I don’t eat all 8-10 servings of fruit/veg a day etc (ok maybe that’s an exaggeration). If I got through the whole food pyramid I’d be eating non stop all day I think!
        But I don’t take them in the quantities the bottle tells you to, I take what my body tells me to. It’s such a controversial subject with one camp that says they are important and the other says it’s a waste of $$. But even traditional medicine is telling us we need extra supplements for fish oils, vit E, D, Folic, C and the list seems to grow every year. But I do have lots of bottles because I don’t use any multi’s or combo supplements. Everything is seperate so I’m not taking what I don’t need just to get that which I do need.
        .-= Joan´s last blog ..Did I Miss You? =-.
Cindy says:

January 4, 2010 at 12:19 pm

LOVE THIS POST, she says as she takes a whole spoonful of nutritional yeast and eats it plain.

I just ran into my bout of anemia and have been adding “nooch” to food round the clock. I have “kale” flavored NY in a baggie, because each time I make baked Kale I have bits of NY on the bottom of the foil with flakes of baked Kale all over and I save it. haha…so i have baked kale infused nooch for later. I eat it on popcorn too and recently I mixed it in with my steamed bulgur wheat. Really any way to get a bite in here and there . I LOVE it and often just eat it via the spoon. cravings are cravings.
I get mine at Sprouts and it’s in bulk so I don’t have a “brand” other than sprouts and mine, luckily, does say b-12.
SHEW

I keep at tub at work and one at home now. I love that you mentioned about the candida effects (or lack there of) for a long time I avoided it becasue I didn’t want any issues. no worries here!

great information SHARI! THANKS!
.-= Cindy´s last blog ..Greens Galore =-.

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1. Shari B. says:
  
  January 5, 2010 at 5:44 pm
  
  Hi Cindy!
  
  Anemia is tough – once you dip down into it, it takes a lot of time and effort to ‘pull back out of it’, or at least it does for me. I feel for ya! I am hoping to avoid my spring bout with it this year. The bummer of it is that you don’t know until it’s too late it seems!
  
  Reply

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