What you need to know about yeast if you're trying to exclude it

7 March 2017

One of the newest diet trends right now is the Yeast Exclusion Diet. Brewer’s yeast and baker’s yeast are used frequently in food manufacturing for the production of alcohol and during baking processes. Allowing users to exclude yeast from their diet was one of the most popular diets during 2016. Despite Allergy UK listing yeast intolerance as one of four common food intolerances, information regarding its prevalence is scarce. Nutritionist Alexis Poole tells us the main things we need to know.

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Yeast is a single-cell living organism and a member of the fungus kingdom.

Yeast is different to mould, which is also part of the fungus kingdom. That being said, depending on the conditions, some fungal species have the ability to take on both forms and are called dimorphic fungi. With this in mind, some mould may not be suitable for someone trying to avoid yeast.

The most common form of yeast is saccharomyces cerevisiae, most commonly known as brewer’s yeast.

When this species of yeast undergoes fermentation it converts carbohydrates (in the form of starch or sugar) into alcohol and carbon dioxide and hence it has been crucial for the productionof beer and wine.

Another food source of yeast is baker’s yeast which is used in the process of baking to leaven bread and other baked goods.

That being said, you can find bakery products that don’t use yeast to rise such as soda Bread and flatbreads.

Yeasts can be found growing in the environment, often around sugar-rich materials.

Naturally occurring yeasts can grow on the skins of fruits and berries such as grapes, apples, peaches, and blueberries.

Some individuals report symptoms, which are similar to other food intolerances

Such as flatulence, bad breath, fatigue, irritability, stomach cramps, bad skin and indigestion, when eating foods containing yeast. That being said, yeast is not currently acknowledged as a clinical food intolerance due to a lack of research supporting this.