Nutritional Yeast vs Brewer's Yeast

Isaac 0

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Jul 19, 2016
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Information on various sites pertaining to the treatment and prevention of niacin deficiency in ducks often states that brewers yeast is a suitable niacin supplement, and can be used alone to treat niacin problems. Lately, this claim has been questioned when we've had several members supplementing and their birds still develop niacin-related leg problems.

With so many sites stating its usefulness in treating niacin deficiencies, I've never taken the time to look at my brand, or look any other brand online to see what their exact niacin content is. I took a look at my own brand, and more than several online, and I was surprised to see a good majority didn't contain adequate amounts of niacin. Almost all contained some form of niacin, but not enough by any means to treat a niacin deficiency.

My brand in particular, which seems to be the most used brand, only contained around 1.5 milligrams of niacin per two tablespoons. That alone is not enough, then most people are diluting it in feed, then splitting it amongst the ducks.

Seeing how brewers yeast may not be the best niacin supplement, I also checked out nutritional yeast, which is another niacin supplement sometimes recommended, although not as much. You'll see why it should recommend more often, but here is some information regarding the difference between the two yeasts.


"Deactivated yeast is a single-celled fungus that's full of nutritional value. Brewer's yeast and nutritional yeast are both a form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and they are commonly sold in health food stores, but they're very different in terms of flavor and nutrients.

Brewer's yeast is a by-product of the brewing beer. It's cultivated on malted barley, which adds some of the distinctive bitterness to brewer's yeast. Brewer's yeast can also be cultivated specifically for use as a supplement. This yeast is high in B-complex vitamins, protein, chromium, and selenium. A key nutritional difference between brewer's and nutritional yeast is brewer's yeast contains the trace mineral chromium but not vitamin B-12.

Nutritional yeast, on the other hand, is not a by-product, and it's usually grown on cane sugar or sugar beet molasses. Nutritional yeast has a mild, nutty flavor compared to brewer's yeast. This type of yeast is an excellent source of niacin, folic acid, zinc, thiamine, and selenium. It can also be fortified with vitamin B-12, an important nutrient for vegans who are more susceptible to B-12 deficiency."


Source

Nutritional Yeast is made from the same Saccharomyces Cerevisiae fungus/yeast as used in the brewing industry. The difference is that with nutritional yeast, the Saccharomyces Cerevisiae is not obtained from the brewing industry but is grown on molasses or some other medium. As is true with making Brewer’s Yeast into a nutritional supplement, Nutritional Yeast is deactivated, dried and made into a powder or flakes. Like Brewer’s Yeast, Nutritional Yeast is a good source of proteins, vitamins, minerals and an assortment of other nutrients, all of which are derived and processed from the medium it is grown on.

While B-vitamins are produced as the yeast grows, makers of nutritional yeast often add additional B-vitamins to boast B-vitamin levels. B-12 is most always added because, like Brewer’s yeast, B-12 does not naturally occur in these yeasts. Red Star Yeast Company is the primary producer of Nutritional Yeast.

While Brewers Yeast is a good natural source of the minerals chromium and selenium, Nutritional Yeast is not unless it is fortified with these minerals. Both Brewer’s and Nutritional Yeast are a good source of the mineral magnesium. Brewers Yeast has a decent amount of potassium whereas Nutritional Yeast has less of this mineral.

BREWER’S/NUTRITIONAL YEAST AND CANDIDA:

Candida Albicans is a yeast organism that inhabits our intestinal track and needs to be held in check by friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus and bifida bacteria. Candida receives its nourishment primarily from simple carbohydrates in the diet. Overgrowth of this organism can lead to many heath problems. Some believe that eating Brewer’s or Nutritional Yeast can aggravate an existing candida yeast overgrowth. While this is a possibility, it has not been shown that eating a deactivated yeast product enhances the growth of candida.

WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU TAKE?

If you are trying to regulate blood sugar, Brewers Yeast is your best choice because of its significant amount of GTF chromium. If it is mainly B-vitamins you want, Nutritional Yeast may be a better choice since most Nutritional Yeast products are B-vitamin fortified and will also include B-12. Both Brewers and Nutritional Yeast will provide an excellent profile of amino acids for protein and an array of trace minerals.

Above all, both Brewers and Nutritional Yeast offers you food grown nutrients which the body will utilize very well. Both types of yeast products will provide a significant amount of the vitamins, minerals and amino acids the body needs on a daily basis. Both Brewer’s and Nutritional Yeast are available at Milk ‘N Honey."

Source

After reading some of the literature above, you get the idea that brewers yeast tends to favor minerals over B vitamins, contrary to nutritional yeast, which tends to have more B vitamins, and fewer minerals. Brewers yeast also tastes stronger which may come into play if you're ducks are a little picky when it comes to their feed. Nutritional yeast often comes in flakes, rather than in powder like brewers yeast which helps it stick to the feed better, and not end up in the bottom of the feeder.

Just as I did with the brewer's yeast, I checked out a few nutritional yeast brands, and the results were in favor of nutritional yeast, most brands containing decent amounts of niacin, anywhere from 20, to 30g per two tablespoons.

There are Brewers yeast brands that may contain an adequate amount of niacin, but we need to be pickier in the way we choose these supplements. Before using any, it's a good idea to check for the niacin content, or, if it's not listed contact the company and ask.

Alternatively, if you don't want to supplement with nutritional yeast, one could use a synthetic form of niacin, such as Cattle B complex, or plain 500mg niacin capsule pills.

Below are a few supplements with their niacin content listed.

NOW Supplements, Nutritional Yeast Flakes Fortified with Additional B-Vitamins, 10-Ounce/ Niacin content per Two Tablespoons ( 32mg)
https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Nutritio...eywords=nutrional+yeast&qid=1593860870&sr=8-8

Solgar Brewer's Yeast Powder, 14 oz/ Niacin Content per Two Tablespoons ( 1.5mg)
https://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Brewers-Powder-Supports-Digestion/dp/B00014DZL6


Bob's Red Mill Large Flake Yeast, 5 Ounce/ Niacin Content per Two Tablespoons (23mg)
https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mil...ywords=nutrional+yeast&qid=1593862758&sr=8-29


BlueBonnet Brewer's Yeast Powder, 1 Pound/Niacin Content per Two Tablespoons(10mg)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000POWM5...49Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
 
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