Nutritional Supplement That Tastes Awesome: Brewer’s Yeast

In the early ’90s I was living in Milwaukee, attending the UW system, and working at a sushi bar in the ‘fashionable East Side’. Around the corner there was/still is a great old movie theater called The Oriental. Fantastic place, great interior, crap seats, but vintage, so there’s that. It was while ensconced within this cinema that I discovered some stuff that would become a permanent part of my regular diet; at the concession stand they offer real butter on good, plain popcorn (it’s white, not yellow, a shaker of salt, and an odd can of this weird yellow junk. Turns out that brewer’s yeast is delicious on a bag of hot buttered corn. Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and has a nutty finish. I was instantly converted.

It wasn’t for some years later that I discovered that brewer’s yeast has a full complement of nutritional properties. It is rich in the B vitamins, has 16 of the 20 amino acids, and 14 minerals. It is a great source of protein for vegetarians (50% of its mass is protein), and it is full of chromium, which helps the body to metabolize carbs and regulates blood sugar. It lowers cholesterol levels and even allegedly helps with acne.

A couple of side notes: due to the high levels of phosphorus, it might be wise to take extra calcium when eating a lot of brewer’s yeast. It can give you gas and make you fart big time. Also, you’ll also definitely want to wash your hands before touching your eyes, picking your nose, and most definitely before playing with your girlfriend; it is yeast after all…

Oh, yeah, and you can make beer with it too, I think.