In addition to dietary supplements, brewer's yeast is spawning a wide range of food products, from noodles to cookies to drinks. SAY YES TO YEAST! Nutritious Brewing Byproduct Used in Health Foods March 5, 2002 Replete with balanced amounts of all the amino acids, the vitamin B complex, and more than 30 other nutrients, brewer's yeast has been called "a gold mine of nutrition." Sales of health foods containing brewer's yeast have skyrocketed recently. The direct cause of this phenomenon is that brewer's yeast was presented as a highly effective nutritional supplement for dieters on a popular television program in the fall of 2000, prompting large numbers of customers, especially women, to head for the stores to stock up on this product. A Treasure Trove of Nutrition Brewer's yeast is the yeast (microbe) used to promote fermentation when making beer. Added to the barley mash during fermentation, it soaks up the nutrients in the barley as it multiplies, so it is only natural that it should be a superb nutritional supplement. And that is not all - it also serves as a medicine that promotes proper working of the digestive system and as a condiment that enhances the flavors of foods. Its medicinal effects have long been known, as attested by its appearance in ancient Egyptian documents from around 1550 BC. Slimming Properties Attract Young Women   Your Name What did you think of this article? It was interesting. It was boring. Send this article to a friend Trends in Japan Home Brewer's yeast has long been used in Western countries in food products, medicines, and pet foods, but in Japan it was thought of as nothing more than beer sediment. It began appearing on the Japanese market in a serious way only around 1930, when Dai Nippon Beer, the precursor of Asahi Breweries and Sapporo Breweries, began selling it as Ebios (site is Japanese only), a medicine for intestinal disorders. (This is still one of Asahi Beer Pharmaceutical's most popular products.) After that, several products were derived from brewer's yeast, and the four major brewing companies marketed competing products. However, the products were burdened with the image of being nutritional supplements for middle-aged and elderly people, and as of 2000, the market was not particularly large, only about ¥200 million ($1.48 million at ¥135 to the dollar). Yet there was an unforeseen occurrence in the fall of 2000. A television program introduced its viewers to powdered dried brewer's yeast. It was presented as a substance that could be mixed with yogurt to provide a meal that was low in calories but alleviated hunger pangs and was also full of essential nutrients, so that dieters could avoid frustration. This immediately increased its popularity among young women, as well as raising interest in other products derived from brewer's yeast. Sales of brewer's yeast products at one pharmacy in Tokyo's Nihonbashi area were 10 times higher in 2001 than in previous years. These products moved out of their traditional distribution network of pharmacies and into supermarkets and convenience stores. At the same time, brewing companies greatly increased their production capacity for brewer's yeast products. It has recently been learned that brewer's yeast can give the flavor of beef or pork and can act as a suitable seasoning for the soup of instant noodles. A large number of food makers are switching from beef extract to brewer's yeast. Sales of products made with brewer's yeast are growing, including health food, drinks, cookies, udon (soft, thick wheat noodles), and soba (buckwheat noodles). It appears likely that competition to develop new products using brewer's yeast will grow more intense. Copyright (c) 2002 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.