Greek yogurt makes a healthy addition to any diet plan, and the friendly bacteria used to give Greek yogurt that distinct taste may offer some protection against candidiasis.

Nutritional yeast is a yeast extract made as a nutritional supplement, food additive and flavoring. It is an excellent source of nutrients, especially protein. Nutritional yeast is quite different from brewer’s yeast, baker’s yeast and pathogenic, or disease causing, yeast.

Candida, the genus name for a group of yeast, is a fungus that lives on the skin, in the digestive tract and the reproductive systems of humans. Normally the growth of the yeast is controlled by other organisms, including beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and acidophilus.

Yeast infections can occur in all age groups, from the very young to the very old. In babies, the most common ailments caused by yeast are diaper rash and a type of fungal infection in the mouth and throat called oral thrush. Rarely, a baby can develop a more serious yeast infection in the bloodstream or other organs.