08/11/2018 / By Michelle Simmons
Probiotics are increasingly becoming well-known for their health benefits. Common sources of probiotics include yogurt and kimchi, but one study, published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, provided evidence on the probiotic properties of brewer’s yeast, an essential ingredient to making beer and bread.
Researchers at Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) investigated the potential probiotic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of a strain of brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) isolated from fruit.
In the study, brewer’s yeast was revealed to be tolerant to various temperatures and pH, high concentration of bile salt and sodium chloride (NaCl), gastric juice, intestinal environment, alpha-amylase, trypsin, and lysozyme. It also has the ability to produce organic acid and exhibited resistance against drugs, such as tetracycline, ampicillin, gentamycin, penicillin, polymyxin B and nalidixic acid.
It can absorb cholesterol and can produce killer toxin, vitamin B12, glutathione, siderophore, and strong biofilm. Moreover, it demonstrated moderate auto-aggregation ability and cell surface hydrophobicity, which are essential properties of probiotics.
Brewer’s yeast can also produce enzymes, such as amylase, protease, lipase, cellulose, that enhance nutrient utilization in the gut. It also demonstrated better antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria than gram-positive. In addition, it exhibited potent antioxidant activity, reducing power, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, significant brine shrimp cytotoxicity and acute toxicity, and metal ion chelating activity.
Ingestion of brewer’s yeast was also considered safe as it did not cause any toxic side effects based on the results of toxicity tests. When administered to mice, it improved lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production.
The researchers conclude that brewer’s yeast possesses promising probiotic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
Brewer’s yeast is an ingredient used to make beer and bread. It is a byproduct of the fermentation process. Despite its slightly bitter taste, it is commonly used as a nutritional supplement. Listed below are some of the health benefits that brewer’s yeast offers:
Read more news stories and studies on the health benefits of probiotics by going to FoodScience.news.
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Tagged Under: alternative medicine, antibacterial, antioxidant, Brewer's yeast, food cures, food is medicine, food research, functional food, healing food, natural cures, probiotics, Saccharomyces cerevisiae