Re: Can eating yeast make your stomach explode?

Hi A.E.,

I've eaten raw bread dough and have knocked back the dregs of many a home brewed beer, and am proud to say that my insides are still intact.

Your wife's concern must stem from the CO2 gas production of yeast cells, which gives beer it's carbonation and puts the bubbles in bread. Even if yeast cells could be happy enough in the acidic conditions of your stomach to produce CO2, when you have excess gas in your stomach (for example, when you drink a beer or a carbonated soft-drink) you can avoid exploding by burping it out.

Yeast is found in nature on the fruits and vegetables that we eat. I believe that it is a source of vitamin B12 for many herbivorous animals. For example, if you go into a vineyard and pick some grapes off of a vine, you might notice a yellow dust clinging to the grapeskin. That is yeast.

I think that for us, the greatest danger in consuming large quantities of yeast cultures is that it could throw off the balance of micro-organisms in our colons, leading to intestinal discomfort and more unpleasant gasseous releases than burping.

You can find many entries on yeast in the MadSci Archives.