Favorable effects on metabolic risk factors with daily brewer's yeast in type 2 diabetic patients with hypercholesterolemia: a semi-experimental study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of brewer's yeast on plasma glucose and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).


METHODS
The present semi-experimental study was performed on 55 T2D patients with hypercholesterolemia. All patients received 12 tablets of 300 mg yeast per day for 8 weeks. Each tablet contained 1.2 μg chromium. Fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride levels were measured at baseline and then again at Weeks 4 and 8.


RESULTS
Although there was a tendency for plasma glucose levels to decrease at Week 4, the difference failed to reach statistical significance (P = 0.065). However, after 8 weeks, the decrease in plasma glucose was significant (P = 0.043). Again, although there was a tendency for decreased plasma cholesterol at Week 8 compared with baseline, the difference failed to reach statistical significance (215 ± 29 vs 226 ± 37 mg/dL, respectively; P = 0.056). Brewer's yeast significantly decreased plasma triglyceride and LDL-C levels at Weeks 4 and 8. In contrast, plasma HDL-C levels were significantly increased at both 4 and 8 weeks compared with baseline (41.3 ± 8.8 and 43.3 ± 7.5 vs 36 ± 5 mg/dL, respectively; P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the consumption of brewer's yeast over a period of 8 weeks may improve cardiometabolic risk factors in T2D patients. However, these findings need to be confirmed in a large double-blind clinical trial.
Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Falavarjan, Iran.
Hossein
H
Khosravi-Boroujeni
Ali
A
Rostami
Shahnaz
S
Ravanshad
Ahmad
A
Esmaillzadeh
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D015002:Yeast, Dried / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002857:Chromium; D002784:Cholesterol