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Login Here Signup Here Signup using Facebookhey all, I am having a personal problem with nutritional yeast. The problem is I LOVE THE STUFF!! I know that sounds crazy, but this products ability to make me think I am having some sort of cheese is almost addictive. I love it on salads,(mixed with hemp seeds its a great topper!) mixed into my seed cheese recipes, and when combined with a raw version of annie goddess dressing is a fantastic sauce for squash noodles or i have to admit on brown rice when i eat a cooked item.I know it is rich in B vitamins and is used by many vegans for this end. My question is how detrimental to my raw program is this product? I have never been 100% but am trying to get to 90-95%. Do the benefits of the nutrients outweigh the fact its not raw? Any insight/opinion would be great.
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geespeen, like you I LOVE nutritional yeast, especially combined with dulse in my ginormous salads. Last night I even put it on the veggie chili dish. I don’t plan on giving it up as it adds an extra “pizzazz” to my food that keeps me from getting bored. I know it keeps me from being 100%, but that’s o.k. for me. I would probably not be 100% anyway as I still eat (gasp) rice crackers, drink tea and have the occasional coffee (which I do want to give up, but have not yet been fully successful).
Actually, lulushka8, there are no Candida Albicans in it, or at least that’s what the label says. Maybe I’m wrong?
This is a good topic. I have never used it due to fear that it will cause a yeast overgrowth in the body as it digests and absorbs into the system. I have read this happens and that was enough to get me to NOT use it. People have mixed reactions on this one, does anyone have any good scientific based articles/readings on how nutritional yeast effects the body once digested? You know, for example, like how the colon reacts to stores waste matter – with fermentation, bacteria overgrowth and spread, etc. (using this as an example so people understand what I mean by how things effect the body AFTER digestion… not saying nutritional yeast does this, I just had to think of another physical and physiological reaction to use for example)... Ps I had never smelled it before and yesterday I stuck my face into a huge bin of it at whole foods and could tell why people loved it so much. The smell was quite unique, salty, dough like and triggered many cravings.
Well I’d say if you are happy to eat it and arent eating vast quantities of it (a box a day type quantities!) I’d say eat it and enjoy it. I like it too, but am out of it at the moment, and it must be a million times better for us than real cheese.
I was told by someone very knowledgeable, educated and experienced in eating raw that nutritional yeast does not impact a Candida problem. It’s brewers yeast and baker’s yeast that are bad for someone with Candida. It’s not raw though. I don’t see any harm in using small amounts of it when transitioning to raw especially if you don’t to have any other adverse effects from it. It would be nice to have some scientific based info. on this subject. I don’t have any, but will look around for some.
I like it, but if I use to much i tend to get migraines :(
This lifestyle isn’t “all-or-nothing”; do what makes you feel good and what you enjoy, and don’t get too caught up on percentages and how “bad” or “good” it could be for you. If you end up feeling like it’s affecting your body negatively, then I’d stop eating it, but until that day comes (if it ever does), eat it ‘til your heart (and stomach) is content!
The problem with nutritional yeast is that it contains dangerous amounts of B vitamins for much more than a few spoonfuls a day. That’s why you should eat brewer’s yeast – no, I’m not talking about that horrible stuff, there is a particular brand that tastes like nutritional yeast – the cheesy flavor and all. It’s called Twinlabs and you can get it at a health food store or the Vitamin Shoppe. Get the red-color wrapping – not the green. The green isn’t the same.
I take up to 10 tablespoons a day in water because I am growing and can’t digest nuts or seeds and need a source of protein. I eat a lot of probiotic greens in general with lots of fruit, acai, and yeast. Oh and never forget to leave out raw chocolate.
Definitely continue to eat it, especially if you are sensitive to a lot of nuts and seeds and want to still get some tasty stuff in. Nutritional yeast is awesome but you don’t want to be overdosing on B vitamins. One time before I got rid of nuts I ground up some soaked and dehydrated walnuts with Twinlab’s and some sea salt and it was like parmesan cheese.
Heyenglish: WONDERFUL ADVICE, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS COMMENT!!!
good call. Some of the B vitamins are okay because they are water soluble, like Riboflavin. My neuro put me on 400 mgs a day for migraine maintenance, which he said was fine. B6 ( I think that’s the right one) is fat soluble, and too much will cause headaches, muscle twitches, tingling extremeties, etc. Niacin (B3) is not something you want to take too much of either… If you are sensitive you will get a niacin flush. Your whole body turns red starting at your pressure points until you are this crazy lobster looking creature, and you feel extremely sunburnt for about 45 minutes. ( caused by all the capillairies opening up on your skins surface) Always check the levels on the jar and make sure they are within safe limits (per serving) and don’t go crazy putting a whole cup into something if you know you will just be eating it all :)
I’ve had nutritional yeast a few times…but I realized after I eat it, I have seriously bad cravings. I don’t care if an article or whatnot says that it can’t contribute to Candida..I think it most certainly does in my body. I end up having a LOT of Candida symptoms like I used to. I try to stay away from it, but I’m not going to refuse to eat it. I know what I’m getting into though when I have a bite. I mentally prepare myself for the consequences…
There was another thread on this a few months back and the conclusion was that nutritional yeast is NOT the same as the yeast that can give you candida.
Nutritional Yeast is a strain of yeast that grows on the mixtures of cane and beet molasses. It is said that the yeast in nutritional yeast is not the cause of candida.
http://www.bulkfoods.com/yeast.htm
I know that Alissa Cohen had candida big time before she went raw and raw was what cured her of it and she has nutritional yeast in many of her recipes. I highly doubt she would be using it in her recipes if she was suspectable to candida.
I am starting to notice that if I do allow myself to eat bread (normally a problem for me but I have been haven’t had bread for weeks – my bread craving are definately disappearing) that I notice I get yeast infection like symptoms (itching like crazy) many hours after. I had a cooked meal with bread today and later in the day I was itch, itch, itch – which normally didn’t happen before but I think my body is becoming more sensitive to the yeast in bread.
I don’t feel bad about eating the nutritional yeast – I do notice if I eat too much I get a bit phelmy but nothing else. I doesn’t make me have any candida symptoms which I had before.
Does nutritional yeast have B12? I have heard that it’s a good source of B12 for pregnant women. Despite the fact it’s not raw, it’s a good supplement if you’re pregnant. :)
Thanks to everyone for all the great and honest input!.. As always, this is the main reason I love this site is the honesty from everyone and the sincere willingness to help everyone without looking for anything in return..Ahhh so rare these days.. I think I will continue to indulge myself on the stuff, but will try to limit my quantities. Incidentally, if anyone else buys this regularly, bulkfoods.com is the only way to go as a 5lb bag comes out to about $6/lb. and in my local healthfood stores they want anywhere from $10-13/lb. Thanks again to all!!