Nutritional Yeast - Nutritional Information?

[Artichoke47]

Does anyone have the calorie count, dietary fiber, and fat in nutritional yeast? I realize that certain brands may vary, but I'm sure they're close.

Please also give what you are considering a serving size. Thank you!

[Quizeen]

Here's some info for Red Star http://www.bulkfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.htm

[epski]

KAL Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Serving Size = 16g (1 level scoop, included)

Calories =45, 5 of which are from fat

Total fat = 0.5g, not saturated

Dietary fiber = 4g

FYI,

Protein = 8g
B12 = 130% of Daily Value

Stuff's amazing.

[veganinohio]

Vegetarian Times actually printed a letter from a registered dietician last month who claimed that nutritional yeast was not a reliable source of B12. She went so far as to compare it to tempeh, sea vegetables, fermented foods, and other unreliable sources that may contain no B12 or B12 analogs. She then said that vegans should get their B12 from supplements, fortified soy milks, and other fortified foods.

I cannot believe that the magazine printed such an idiotic letter with no response.

Nutritional yeast IS a fortified food. It has B12 added. How can it be any less reliable than fortified soy milk or supplements?

I am rapidly losing respect for the magazine (not that I had much to begin with).

[Kreeli]

there is an excellent article up at www.veganoutreach.org about vegans and b12.

the nutritionist in the veg' magazine was correct in that many types of nutritional yeast are not reliable sources of b12 (like tempeh and sea veggie), but she should have added that there are certain brands that fortify the yeast with it, like Red Star Vegetarian Supplement Formula. your standard engevita, brewers, or torula yeast is not fortified with b12 and should not be considered a good source of it.

[Kreeli]

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/

here's a direct link to that article, btw.

[rainbowmoon]

8 grams of protein?!?!?
OK, where do I get some of this stuff....:D

[twobluemoons]

Is engevita yeast the yeast we buy that is usually called nutritional yeast? I see that Kreeli mentioned engevita, brewers, or torula yeasts, and I know there are differences, but I've never investigated the differences. I haven't had any experience or occasion so far with brewers or torula yeast.

What don't I know?

Nora

[veganinohio]

there is an excellent article up at www.veganoutreach.org about vegans and b12.

the nutritionist in the veg' magazine was correct in that many types of nutritional yeast are not reliable sources of b12 (like tempeh and sea veggie), but she should have added that there are certain brands that fortify the yeast with it, like Red Star Vegetarian Supplement Formula. your standard engevita, brewers, or torula yeast is not fortified with b12 and should not be considered a good source of it.

I've never heard those other kinds of yeasts referred to as "nutritional yeast." The only yeasts that I've ever seen labeled as "nutritional yeast" have been fortified. I'm quite certain that the general understanding of the term "nutritional yeast" is the yellow flaky fortified stuff, so when she writes that nutritional yeast is an unreliable source, people are going to assume she's writing about that same stuff that they've been buying down at their health food store or co-op which is in fact fortified.

Have you actually seen brewer's yeast labeled as "nutritional yeast?" That would be bizarre.

[Kreeli]

I've never heard those other kinds of yeasts referred to as "nutritional yeast." The only yeasts that I've ever seen labeled as "nutritional yeast" have been fortified. I'm quite certain that the general understanding of the term "nutritional yeast" is the yellow flaky fortified stuff, so when she writes that nutritional yeast is an unreliable source, people are going to assume she's writing about that same stuff that they've been buying down at their health food store or co-op which is in fact fortified.

Have you actually seen brewer's yeast labeled as "nutritional yeast?" That would be bizarre.

yes, i have. in fact any inactive yeast used in cooking or for supplementation (for the other vitamins and protein) is called "nutritional yeast".

no variety of nutritional yeast should be considered a reliable source of b12 unless it states, specifically, on the label that it's been fortified.

[Quizeen]

no variety of nutritional yeast should be considered a reliable source of b12 unless it states, specifically, on the label that it's been fortified.

This is true. In fact, there are two varieties on nutrtional yeast (the yellow flake variety veganinohio mentioned) in the bulk bins at my local Wild Oats. One has been fortified with B12 the other has not. I generally see the B12 fortified variety labeled "vegetarian support".

[Artichoke47]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

[veganinohio]

yes, i have. in fact any inactive yeast used in cooking or for supplementation (for the other vitamins and protein) is called "nutritional yeast".

no variety of nutritional yeast should be considered a reliable source of b12 unless it states, specifically, on the label that it's been fortified.

Huh. Well it's a crazy world out there, I guess.

And anyway, people might call it that, but are they likely to find it at a store with that label on it? My experience says no.

[OConfusedOne]

Does the B12 fortification come from an animal source?

[veganinohio]

Fortification of what? Nutritional yeast? I guess it would depend on the brand (and apparently the type and whether or not that type is fortified and whether or not a store is labeling brewer's yeast as nutritional yeast or any of a million or so other apparent ((though unlikely)) possibilites).

I'm not sure if there are any animal sources for B12 extraction, but I do know that vegetarian products use bacteria to produce the stuff.

[Kreeli]

Fortification of what? Nutritional yeast? I guess it would depend on the brand (and apparently the type and whether or not that type is fortified and whether or not a store is labeling brewer's yeast as nutritional yeast or any of a million or so other apparent ((though unlikely)) possibilites).

I'm not sure if there are any animal sources for B12 extraction, but I do know that vegetarian products use bacteria to produce the stuff.

veganinohio, just because it (the confusion surrounding nutritional yeast being a source of b12) seems unlikely to you, does not make it so. there are only two types of nutritional yeast considered to be reliable sources of b12 for vegans. from the article i linked to earlier in the thread:


Fortified Foods

There are many vegan foods fortified with B12. They include non-dairy milks, meat substitutes, breakfast cereals, and one type of nutritional yeast.

The “Daily Value” for B12 found on food labels is based on 6 µg, which was the RDA in 1968. How to calculate the amount of B12 from a food label is explained in Table 1 under Fortified Foods.

Brewer’s and Nutritional Yeasts

Brewer’s and nutritional yeasts do not contain B12 unless they are fortified with it. At least two vegan B12-fortified yeasts are currently on the market: Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula (also known as Red Star Yeast T6635+) and Twinlab Natural Nutritional Yeast (verified to be fortified with B12 via personal communication with Twinlab June 3, 2003). Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to relying solely on B12-fortified nutritional yeast for B12:

Nutritional yeast often comes from bins in health food stores. If not careful, it would be easy for a store employee to order the wrong nutritional yeast out of the distributor catalogs which often list many yeasts. It would also be easy to accidentally put the wrong yeast into the Vegetarian Support Formula bin.
B12 is light sensitive. Nutritional yeast is likely to be exposed to the light because it is often stored in clear bins or plastic bags.
At least one vegan who thought he was getting B12 from nutritional yeast developed B12 deficiency symptoms that cleared up upon taking a B12 supplement.
If you are trying to use Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula for B12, make sure you are actually getting what you think. It is also best to keep it in the refrigerator or freezer, out of the light.*

Please note: Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast has many other nutrients and I eat it myself; but vegans shouldn’t rely on it for their sole source of B12, in my opinion.

*emphasis mine.

OConfusedOne, here is what the article says about where the b12 in supplements and fortification comes from:


Origin of B12 in Supplements and Fortified Foods

Streptomyces griseus, a bacterium once thought to be a yeast, was the commercial source of vitamin B12 for many years. The bacteria Propionibacterium shermanii and Pseudomonas denitrificans have now replaced S. griseus. At least one company, Rhone Poulenc Biochimie of France, is using a genetically engineered microorganism to produce B12.

hope that helps. :)

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Vegetarian Times actually printed a letter from a registered dietician last month who claimed that nutritional yeast was not a reliable source of B12. She went so far as to compare it to tempeh, sea vegetables, fermented foods, and other unreliable sources that may contain no B12 or B12 analogs. She then said that vegans should get their B12 from supplements, fortified soy milks, and other fortified foods.

I cannot believe that the magazine printed such an idiotic letter with no response.

Nutritional yeast IS a fortified food. It has B12 added. How can it be any less reliable than fortified soy milk or supplements?

I am rapidly losing respect for the magazine (not that I had much to begin with).
Here in Germany it depends and you have to read the label, some nutritional yeast doesn´t contain B12 and some, which has been grown on a B12 fortified medium, does however contain it. So that means nutrional yeast may be reliable source, if it is the fortified version!

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Kreeli: that´s interesting information, which I add to my B12 file. Thanks a lot!

[veganinohio]

My point was simply that the dietician wrote that vegans should not choose nutritional yeast and instead should choose fortified foods, while neither she nor the magazine acknowledged that fortified versions of nutritional yeast are WIDELY available and I would argue (although others might refute this and that's fine) that fortified versions of nutritional yeast are the most common types you are likely to encounter in stores.

And I think it's idiotic that a magazine that supposedly caters to vegetarians and is supposedly trying to increase the magazines appeal to vegans would fail to point this out.

[OConfusedOne]

Kreeli - that does help a bunch. Thanks! Another question - I'm out in the middle of nowhere and there are no health food stores around. Does anyone know of any reliable places to mail order nutritional yeast, or if that's even possible?

~Mollie~

[freemouse]

Kreeli - that does help a bunch. Thanks! Another question - I'm out in the middle of nowhere and there are no health food stores around. Does anyone know of any reliable places to mail order nutritional yeast, or if that's even possible?

~Mollie~


www.bulkfoods.com !!!

[OConfusedOne]

sweet, thanks!

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Kreeli - that does help a bunch. Thanks! Another question - I'm out in the middle of nowhere and there are no health food stores around. Does anyone know of any reliable places to mail order nutritional yeast, or if that's even possible?

~Mollie~
Somehow I also have problems getting my nutrional yeast. After posting in this thread I looked at my nutrional yeast and saw that I´m out of supply save for the brown glass in which I store the flakes. I went to the shops that usually have nutrional yeast but couldn´t find any there. One had brewer´s yeast, which I don´t like.
This afternoon I´ll try again.