Food intolerance affects many people who aren’t even aware of these intolerances. Yeast intolerance is among the lesser common food intolerances that people experience. Even though rare, this intolerance can affect you.
Yeast is a living fungus in many foods and drinks we consume, like beer and bread. Yeast intolerance causes stomach upset, among other gastrointestinal symptoms. Even though this intolerance isn’t very severe, it causes uncomfortable symptoms that can affect the quality of your life.
However, if you suffer from severe symptoms like anaphylaxis, you need to test for allergies because only allergies can cause such symptoms. Yeast allergies cause more severe symptoms than an intolerance.
What is yeast?
Yeast is a living fungus that’s often safe for human consumption except in yeast allergy and intolerance cases. It is a natural active ingredient used in baking and brewing. Yeast feeds on sugar and then converts it into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This conversion process is what helps beer brew and bread rise.
Turning sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide causes bubbling, and you can easily tell when you’re using active yeast. However, this same process causes trouble for people experiencing yeast intolerance.
For people with yeast intolerance, avoiding foods that contain this fungus is a safer option for them to take. It causes rather uncomfortable symptoms that you’d be better off avoiding. Avoiding foods that may contain yeast can help curb intolerance symptoms.
Even though we use yeast in drink and food production, we also have a type of yeast that is naturally present in the body. This type of yeast is known as candida. Some microorganisms keep candida from overgrowing. However, lifestyle changes and using too many antibiotics can cause an imbalance, resulting in candida overgrowing.
When candida overgrows, signs can be seen in specific body parts, including the throat, vagina, gut, or skin. Candida overgrowth leads to yeast infections. However, this is a different condition compared to a yeast intolerance.
What is yeast intolerance?
When you have yeast intolerance, your body produces excessive IgG antibodies when exposed to yeast. A yeast intolerance is caused by the body’s inability to break down the yeast. When you have a yeast allergy, it affects your body’s immune system. It can be hard to differentiate yeast allergy and an intolerance, especially if you don’t suffer from severe allergic reactions. That’s why it is safe to take an Allergy and Intolerance Test.
Like other food intolerances and sensitivities, yeast is no different meaning it’s hard to pinpoint the leading causes. Some people eventually outgrow these intolerances, while others don’t. When you have an intolerance, you can also have symptoms when you might also experience symptoms of fungi like mold.
When you have yeast intolerance or allergy, avoiding foods containing fungi like mold or yeast is necessary, as they may also affect you, causing symptoms. You can avoid foods with yeast by checking food labels carefully. When picking something in a bakery or liquor shop, inquire about the presence of yeast in various drinks or baked goods.
Yeast intolerance symptoms
Yeast intolerance symptoms vary from one individual to the next, affecting them differently. The severity of your symptoms increases depending on the amount of yeast you consume. Common symptoms to look out for include:
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Stomach ache
- Rashes
- Joint pain
- Headache
- Gas
Often, intolerance symptoms will affect you until you’ve passed the problematic ingredient from your body. It is common for some people to experience blotchy skin after consuming alcohol, and it’s wrong to assume that it’s due to an intolerance.
Sometimes, this happens when you consume substances with sulfur dioxide. These ingredients often cause an allergy-like reaction. Since food intolerances have the most common symptoms, it can be hard to figure out which specific ingredient or food is causing your symptoms. Hence, we recommend a food intolerance test.
Can you outgrow yeast intolerance?
You can lose your intolerance if you work closely with your doctor. Once you’re aware of your intolerance after taking a food intolerance test, you can go on an elimination diet, which your doctor will guide you through.
During the elimination period, which is about twelve weeks, your doctor will help you determine what you can and can’t eat because of your intolerance. After this elimination period, if you’re free of intolerance symptoms, your doctor will guide you into reintroducing the foods you’ve eliminated and watch out for the signs.
After an elimination diet, you’ll often find that your body can tolerate yeast more. Some people even found out they could now consume foods with yeast without any symptoms of intolerance. However, that’s not guaranteed, but you can find the amount of yeast your body can tolerate.
Once you know the amount of yeast your body can tolerate, you only eat less than that and never more, which can affect your body. However, if you want to get rid of your intolerance completely, you can ask your doctor about other ways that they can help you solve this.
The best way to treat a this sort of intolerance is to avoid foods with yeast. Even by avoiding foods and drinks with yeast, you can still enjoy them. Nowadays, you can find baked foods that don’t contain yeast, and you can always consume liquor without yeast.
Foods to avoid when yeast-intolerant
Yeast is present in many foods, some of which you might not expect. It can be difficult to pin down yeast as the culprit. Since yeast is an ingredient in other foods and drinks, it can be hard to blame it for intolerance symptoms since it could also be sulphur, gluten, wheat, or specific fruits.
That’s why we recommend taking an Allergy and Intolerance Test to get an analysis of all common food allergies and intolerances, and you can take advantage of even one of these. Having a yeast intolerance means you should be wary of any foods that are fermented, aged, or processed. Common foods to avoid include:
- Dried fruits
- Aged cheese
- Ingredients with vinegar
- Processed and cured meats
- Baked goods
- Stock cubes and gravy
- Alcohol
- Condiments
- Yeast extract
- Processed fruit juices
Since an imbalance in your body causes candida, you need to avoid too many sugary foods which cause thrush.
Final thoughts
An intolerance to yeast isn’t as common as gluten intolerance, but it still affects a number of people worldwide. Yeast intolerance and yeast allergy are different conditions, and you can test for both by taking an Allergy and Intolerance Test.
Once you’re aware of yeast intolerance, you should read food labels carefully to avoid foods and drinks that contain yeast. Most people with this intolerance can consume small amounts of yeast without experiencing intolerance symptoms. You need to know the amount of yeast you can consume without suffering symptoms.
