Amadeus,
> Maybe the gut relationship can indicate us a million year old
> adaption to yeast, even if its not found in nature in amounts.
Yes, this is a good point you are making here. It is difficult to justify
any paleodiet prohibition on yeast given that one species of yeast lives in
our gut without normally causing a problem. (On the other hand bacteria also
live in our gut, and some bacteria are deadly!)
Here's something from a commercial web site at:
http://www.mothernature.com
===
BREWER'S YEAST
"What does it do? Brewer's yeast is the dried, pulverized cells of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of fungus. It is a rich source of the
B-complex vitamins, protein (providing all the essential amino acids), and
minerals, particularly chromium. Brewer's yeast should not be confused with
baker's yeast, nutritional yeast, or torula yeast, which are low in
chromium.
Where is it found? Brewer's yeast, which has a very bitter taste, is
recovered after being used in the beer-brewing process. Brewer's yeast can
also be grown specifically for harvest as a nutritional supplement."
===
In recent years I bought my brewer's yeast from GNC stores here in the US,
under the GNC label. It was imported from Europe, I believe, and was
debittered to make it easier on the palate. Another type of yeast is also
sold for nutritional purposes, normally called "nutritional yeast".
Nutritional yeast is not true brewer's yeast, however, and as far as I know
it sacrifices nutritional value for a better taste. Non-debittered brewer's
yeast has a very bad taste, at least at first.
My first experience with brewer's yeast was with a different brand more than
20 years ago. I ate cereal for breakfast in those days. I started by
sprinkling a teaspoon of yeast on my cereal in the morning. It tasted
horrible but I was convinced it was good for my health and so I forced
myself to have this teaspoon on my cereal every morning. Within a few weeks
I was really enjoying the flavor. I acquired a real taste for it and so I
started mixing one or two large heaping tablespoons in plain water.
Evidently my mind and body learned intuitively that the bitter taste of
brewer's yeast was associated with something healthy and wholesome and
energizing.
-gts
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