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Brewer's yeast

Yeast is a unicellular plant belonging to the class Ascomycetes, which is very commonly found in nature. This plant is one of the fungus family Saccharomycetaceae. Yeast extract is a nutritious palatable paste prepared from brewer's or baker's yeast by autolysis. This comprises the self-digestion of the yeast cells principally through yeast proteolytic enzyme activity so that proteinaceous soluble solids can be recovered. These soluble solids are typically further concentrated to form a paste. Yeast is taken as a health-giving agent on account of its content of amino acids, minerals, trace elements, vitamins and other active substances. Yeast treatments are supposed to be effective against impure and greasy skin. Brewery industry generates a large quantity of yeast as a by-product. On the other hand, the importance of yeast is well recognized on account of its high contents of protein, vitamin B-complex and minerals. Brewers yeast is the dried, non-fermentative, non-extracted yeast of the botanical classification Saccharomyces resulting as a by-product from the brewing of beer and ale. It commonly contains not less than about 35% crude protein. Brewers' yeast contains adequate concentrations of all vitamins, proteins and trace elements required for the fermentation. Examples of suitable brewers' yeasts are Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. carlsbergensis. It has been discovered that the presence of chromium as an inorganic salt in food results in an increase in glucose oxidation in a human's biological system, particularly when extracts of Brewer's yeast containing chromium are added., it has been found that if an active GTF material is orally fed to an individual with diabetes, the GTF material will influence the pituitary gland to produce normal amounts of insulin.

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