The Paleo diet is growing in popularity each day and the reason behind that is that it makes sense. Cavemen didn’t have to deal with extra weight – they were as lean as they could be.
So, their diet must have been balanced and eating clean – and the idea of abiding by their diet works. It’s not rocket science to follow paleo word for word!
However, it can take some getting used to. Some food ingredients are not paleo, and at the first glance, you couldn’t figure out why for the life of it.
After a few weeks, it seems like you have more and more questions about what’s allowed and what isn’t. You had a sudden urge for some bread, but can you eat yeast on paleo?
Truly, it seems like you cannot figure it out on your own. Luckily, that’s where we come in – because we do know can you eat yeast on paleo! Continue reading our article to find out for yourself!
Can You Eat Yeast On Paleo?
When we’re talking about not breaking the diet – you must know can you eat yeast or not. However, the answer is not that simple – there are a few answers on this one.
So, can you eat yeast on paleo? Yes, yes you can!
Yeast is perfectly safe since it exists in our world since Paleolithic times. It may seem weird since it doesn’t seem like cavemen used to bake bread or make cheese and even yogurt.
They did not use yeast to ferment foods, but foods a long time ago contained naturally-occurring probiotics. We take those probiotics in the form of a pill or capsule.
Of course, those foods containing yeast did not contain much of it. However, their gut flora didn’t require a large amount of good yeast to fight off irregularities.
They didn’t, but that doesn’t mean the cavemen didn’t ingest yeast regularly. In reality, the cavemen ate yeast in any of their meals, and we will explain further why!
So, if you are worried about eating some yeast on paleo – don’t be. You will not break your diet by eating some yeast!
Types Of Yeast Allowed On Paleo
We already mentioned that, but there are a few different types of yeast available. All types of yeast are safe on paleo, but we should talk about each type separately.
It’s easy to categorize yeast into three categories: good, bad, and neutral.
Bad Yeast
It’s best to start with the bad yeast since the bad yeast when eaten excessively causes health problems. The bad yeast can grow inside your small intestine if you have a bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine.
Furthermore, it can cause yeast infections – even thrush, among other things. Fighting off a yeast infection can last a long, long time – and it is boring, as well.
The bad yeast usually falls in the genus of the Candida yeast. Candida can cause inflammation and generally cause more than just discomfort – since if you have an external infection, chances are that they overgrew your small intestine.
If you need to get rid of the Candida infection, you will likely have to abide by the candida diet. This diet avoids all fermented and starchy foods, along with sugar. These foods generally cause candida yeast to grow further in size.
Good Yeast
The good yeast is referred to this way since they make a healthy part of the gut and the intestine flora. These types of yeast usually belong in the Saccharomyces type.
These yeasts are even able to reduce the growth of bad bacteria and yeast in your tummy, due to their anti-microbial effects. They can even reduce inflammation in the body.
Saccharomyces boulardii is one of the most efficient good yeasts since it restores balance in your tummy in no time. It’s available in pill form, as well.
On the other hand, you can eat foods that are rich in good yeast, like kombucha, kefir, and Lacto-fermented vegetables. Let’s get one thing out of the way – you are not more likely to get a yeast infection if you drink a lot of kefir or kombucha!
Neutral Yeast
Some yeasts are not beneficial or harmful to your gut health, and they fall into the ‘Neutral yeast’ category. They are rather similar to the Saccharomyces, but they do not have the benefits for your health.
One of the most popular types of neutral yeast is Active Dry yeast, commonly used for baking bread and similar types of sourdough. It’s also used in some types of kefir, and even wine and beer.
Nutritional yeast falls into the category of neutral yeast. Many people eat it as a seasoning because of the benefits to your health (it’s a great source of protein).
Preparing With Yeast On Paleo
Preparing foods on paleo can be a bit of a challenge if you’re only beginning. So many things are not allowed and you used to cook with them every day.
So, using yeast is allowed, but can you prepare bread the way you used to? Probably not.
For starters, gluten isn’t allowed on paleo, so you will have to part with traditional wheat flour. Pick out any flour that doesn’t contain gluten, and you will be fine – there are so many gluten-free flours out there.
Can you eat Ezekiel bread when following the paleo diet? Read our article to find out!
Furthermore, when using cooking oil, make sure that you’re using a healthy fat, and an oil rich in omega-6 acids. We advise against using palm or vegetable oil – it would be best if you stuck to using peanut or grapeseed oil instead.
You can use active dry yeast to start the fermentation. Also, you can use Saccharomyces boulardii to make some kefir or any dairy products.
If you take your chances with preparing dairy products on your own, you will have more power over the taste. Consequently, you can make tastier dairy than you could ever buy at the store!
Furthermore, you can buy a large box of nutritious yeast to use on all kinds of meals. You can mix it in dishes or sprinkle it on top. The nutritious yeast doesn’t make the food taste sour or bitter, but it adds some extra flavor. You can purchase it in your local supermarket or a health store!
Nutritional Value Of Yeast
We can safely conclude that yeast plays an important role in maintaining good health. Yeast exists in all types of foods, but usually in small doses.
We already talked about the good types of yeast, which keep your intestine flora up to date. Nutritious yeast, which you can buy in the form of a powder, falls more into the neutral yeast category.
It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t do much for your health overall. It simply means it doesn’t do much to your gut flora – but it has several other benefits.
Let’s check out the nutritional value of ¼ cup of nutritious yeast:
| Calories | 60 kcal |
| Protein | 8g |
| Dietary fiber | 3g |
| Vitamin B1 | 12mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 9.7mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 5.9mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 17.6mcg |
We can see above that eating nutritious yeast can be very good for your health, because of the good amount of vitamins in just a quarter cup. Furthermore, nutritious yeast is a great source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and iron.
Now, let’s talk about the benefits the nutritious yeast has on human health. Since there are copious amounts of vitamins and minerals in nutritious yeast, it’s only natural that it gives away some positive benefits to your health, like:
| Boosting energy: | Vitamin B12 gives the body more energy for the day |
| Boosting the immune system: | Nutritious yeast fights off inflammation |
| Improving glucose sensitivity: | Improving glucose sensitivity in people with diabetes type 2 |
| Promoting better skin, nails, and hair: | Helps with acne and brittle hair and nails |
| Supporting a healthy pregnancy: | Nutritious yeast has good amounts of folic acid, which is important for pregnancy |
Of course, these are just the most important benefits yeast has on the body. For example, the solid amount of dietary fiber in nutritious yeast plays an important role in boosting your metabolism.
Eating some dietary fiber each day will help you stay on track with your weight loss. Dietary fiber helps food process more quickly in your digestive system.
Eating rye bread may provide your body with a good amount of dietary fiber, but is rye bread paleo? Read our article to find out all about it!
Can You Eat Yeast On Paleo? – Bottom Line
To conclude, yes, you can eat yeast while following the paleo diet. There is truly nothing stopping you from making a delicious loaf of bread to eat for breakfast!
Of course, besides the ‘no-gluten’ rule, that is. Otherwise, if using paleo-safe flour, you can make whatever you like!
Various types of yeast offer some health benefits to your body and general wellbeing. Not only does yeast keep your bowels healthy, but it also gives your body a shot of vitamins to feel energized!
All in all, can you eat yeast on paleo? Yes, and it’s not only safe – it’s so good for you!
