Do you know what brewer’s yeast is? Have you ever taken it? It is a product especially indicated to improve the health of our hair, skin and nails.
Its health benefits are due to its high content of nutrients and essential amino acids. In this article we will know its main characteristics, composition and also uses and benefits.
- Related article: “Discover the 10 superfoods you should include in your diet”.
What is brewer’s yeast?
Brewer’s yeast is a product derived from the fermentation of some cereals, such as wheat or barley.such as wheat or barley. This fermentation is produced by a microorganism called “Saccharomyces cerevisiae”.
Brewer’s yeast is used in particular to make bread, wine and beer. However, it is also a widely used nutritional supplement.
Brewer’s yeast has the advantage that it is beneficial for hair and skin; this is because it provides a series of proteins of high biological value, since it contains each and every one of the essential amino acids. On the other hand, it also brings other kinds of benefits to our health, as we will see throughout the article.
How can it be taken?
Brewer’s yeast, as a supplement, is marketed in different formats. We can find it in liquid, powder or capsule/tablet form. It is generally taken three times a day, and is accompanied by other foods at different dinners/meals. It is better absorbed with food.
Origin
The use of brewer’s yeast is actually very ancient, and already in ancient Egypt was used. Thus, brewer’s yeast was used especially as a medicinal supplement (i.e. for medicinal purposes). Some famous philosophers of the time highlighted its properties, such as Hippocrates, Paracelsus and Dioscorides.
At the end of the 19th century, Dr Carlsberg, a doctor of botany, took advantage of the microorganisms contained in brewer’s yeast to obtain yeast from a single cell. He did this thanks to the great reproductive activity of these microorganisms.
Later, in 1930, another doctor, Dr. Heinrich Metz, obtained yeast in liquid form; this yeast contained all the nutritional components of the “original” yeast.
Composition and nutrients
Brewer’s yeast contains a large amount of nutrients. Let’s see what they are below.
1. Proteins
The proteins contained in brewer’s yeast are unicellular.These proteins contain all the essential amino acids considered by the WHO (World Health Organization). Specifically, it contains a large amount of the following amino acids: lysine, isoleucine and threonine.
2. Minerals and trace elements
Brewer’s yeast also contains large amounts of minerals and trace elements.. These two compounds are very important for our body to function properly.
Some of the trace elements it contains are: selenium (with antioxidant effects) and chromium (facilitates the metabolism of fats and sugars).
3. Vitamins
Vitamins are another of the nutrients in brewer’s yeast.. Specifically, yeast contains water-soluble vitamins of the B complex (vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6…). It also contains folic acid and biotin-pantothenate.
These last two substances facilitate enzyme reactions essential to the body. In addition, they also have the function of activating cell respiration.
4. Fiber
Fiber is another compound found in brewer’s yeast.. Specifically, it contains 18% of dietary fiber. This makes it a good prebiotic food, that is, it favors the development and maintenance of intestinal flora (bacterial flora).
5. Other
Another important component of brewer’s yeast is glutathione, itself composed of three amino acids (cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine). The main characteristic of glutathione is that it has antioxidant effects; it also facilitates the transport of minerals and amino acids.
Benefits for skin, hair and nails
Brewer’s yeast, when used as a nutritional supplement, offers great benefits for our hair and skin health. In addition, it is also beneficial for our nails.
This is thanks to the nutrients that yeast provides to our organism (vitamins, minerals, proteins…). How do they work? These nutrients, in turn, promote the formation of keratin, the protein necessary for our nails and hair to grow and stay healthy. and stay healthy.
On the other hand, keratin also protects the epidermis from external aggressions, especially environmental (climatic) ones.
Since skin, nails and hair are in continuous growth, they need special care and an adequate supply of nutrients. What can happen when we stop taking care of these three parts of the body? Let’s take a look.
1. Skin
The skin becomes dry and flaky when it lacks nutrients. In other words, it becomes dehydrated. This lack of nutrients unbalances the functioning of the skin’s sebaceous glands, resulting in an unhealthy appearance of the skin. In addition, as a result of all this, pimples or certain imperfections may also appear.
2. Nails
In the case of the nails, if they lack nutrients, their appearance also worsens; in addition, they become fragile and soft. White spots may also appear on them.
3. Hair
Finally, the hair can become fragile, brittle, malnourished and dull when we do not provide it with the nutrients it needs (or excessively greasy), which we would solve with brewer’s yeast, for example. Other factors can also play a role, such as stress or an unbalanced diet.
How can brewer’s yeast benefit?
Basically, and as we have already mentioned what brewer’s yeast provides is proteins of high biological value.This is because it contains all the amino acids considered essential by the WHO. In addition to protein, it also provides other beneficial nutrients for our skin, hair and nails.
Specifically, what the essential amino acids in brewer’s yeast do is to promote the recovery of our hair’s shine. They also make our skin and nails shiny.
On the other hand, in addition to containing essential amino acids, brewer’s yeast also contains sulfur amino acids, such as cysteine. These amino acids, as we have seen, promote the synthesis of keratin, a fundamental protein that is part of the skin, nails and hair. In addition, they also regulate excess sebum.
Finally, another component of yeast, already mentioned (biotin-pantothenate) plays an essential role in the growth and maintenance of skin, nails and hair.
To summarize
The idea we should have about brewer’s yeast is that it is a product derived from the fermentation of some cereals such as wheat or barley. It is consumed as a nutritional supplement, due to the large amount of nutrients it provides (proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber…).
In addition, the proteins provided by yeast are of high biological value (very beneficial for our organism).
Its properties make it a product especially indicated to maintain a healthy skin, as well as nails and hair.as well as healthy and strong nails and hair.
That is, if we have soft nails or with whitish spots, brittle hair with an unhealthy appearance, and/or flaky or dehydrated skin, brewer’s yeast can be a very good option to improve the health and appearance of these three areas of the body.