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The contents of this profile is the result of revisions and examinations made over the years that have brought us to extend the range of foods to include in the diet in case of a yeast intolerance.
In addition to foods that obviously contain yeast, clinical tests reveal that most people with a confirmed hypersensitivity to yeast benefit from the abstention or rotation in their diet of foods that are fermented in various ways.
Therefore the diet is not limited to foods which contain yeast, but it also includes those food products that have undergone a fermentation process even if brewer's yeast, natural yeast or chemical leavening agents have not been added.
It's important to read this profile carefully because yeasts, contrary to milk or wheat, cannot always be detected by reading the ingredient labels. This is due to the fact that this category also includes all fermented foods in addition to those which clearly contain yeast.
For this reason you won't find yeast listed among the ingredients in yogurt, tea, or honey but they are nevertheless foods that to be considered part of the yeast family.
List of foods containing yeast that are to be avoided on a rotational basis as indicated by the instructions
All leavened baked goods: bread, crackers, bread sticks melba toast, cookies, pastries and bread-like products in general, including those that arte “naturally fermented”. The restriction on baked products also includes foods containing flours that are baked in the oven. Even though they don't contain yeast, they undergo a partial levitation during baking. This means that even unleavened bread is included in the list (mixing and cooking of unleavened bread gives rise to a partial, though very slight fermentation process). The same is true for Wasa or other types of breads or slices, even though they are labeled ”yeast-free”, crisp bread, flat bread or Sardinian type bread.
Mushrooms (since they are fungi like yeast), whether they are champignons, porcini, dried or oil-packed.
Honey and yogurt even if naturally fermented, animal or soy.
All cheese fresh or aged and tofu (soy cheese).
Fermented beverages: beer, wine, all alcoholic beverages, tea, borscht (the typical Russian soup made with lacto-fermented beets).
Condiments: vinegar (including apple), bouillon cubes (almost all include yeast, even natural ones), industrially prepared mayonnaise (for its vinegar content) and macrobiotic sauces (almost all are fermented, like soy sauce, tamari and miso).
Pharmaceutical products: yeast extracts, many food supplements (especially those containing vitamin B which are often extracted from yeast). Consult your physician about the use of milk enzymes. Be careful when using mother tinctures or glycerite macerates because they have an alcohol base. Use dried extracts or oxyprolinates instead.
Leftovers or cooked foods that have been kept for several days: foods allowed to ferment or fruits and vegetables that have been left out in the open air. When food starts to become sour after it has been conserved for a period of time or because it was previously treated with vinegar or lemon (acids), this means that it is producing an acidic fermentation. Foods that tend to readily initiate this type of fermentation are certain cooked vegetables, cous cous, soups, tomato sauce and chopped fruits such as fruit cocktail. After several days, even fruit and vegetables kept in the open air (but also fruit juices that have been placed in the refrigerator) undergo an oxidation process that can interfere with the success of the diet. Even small dark marks that form on fruit and vegetables are cause for alarm: they are fungi that must be avoided in this type of diet.
Citric acid: a preservative contained in many foods as a substitute for lemon juice. It's derived from genetically modified Aspergillus (a fungus).
Dried fruit such as raisins (be careful with some mueslis), dried apricots, dates, etc.
Pay attention to your chewing process
Chew foods for as long as possible before swallowing them. Pieces of food that are swallowed and chopped up sufficiently inevitably remain in the stomach for longer periods of time giving rise to a process of fermentation. Avoiding bread in order to stay away from fermented food is equally important as not allowing food o ferment within the stomach because of insufficient chewing. You can help yourself by remembering to “put down your fork” after each bite. In this way, you'll be conscious of putting food in your mouth, an act that is often performed without thinking, instinctively or hurriedly when we haven't yet finished chewing the previous bite. This is a simple change of habit, but a great help for those who have difficulty eating more slowly.
Weekly abstinence even for those who don't have an intolerance
Given the fact that yeast is one of the most common components in our daily diet, it's wise to consider planning one day per week of “abstinence” in order to free the body of any possible overload, even if a specific reactivity hasn't been found. In our habitual diet, those foods that are leavened, together with cold cuts, are also the foods with the highest salt content. In this way, on diet days you'll also be reducing your salt intake as a consequence.
© The editorial rights to this document are reserved to SMA Srl Servizi Medici Associati - Via Vegezio 12, 20149 Milano - Health Director: Dr Attilio Speciani MD (copyright to be cited upon usage).
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