Baker`s yeast protects against fatal diseases

Washington: Simple baker`s yeast can keep at bay fatal fungal infection like aspergillosis which can cause kidney and liver failure, says a new study.

Aspergillosis is the leading fungal killer that attacks the lungs and can migrate to the brain. Mice injected thrice with dead baker`s yeast one week apart, were able to survive high doses of Aspergillus -- the fungus that causes aspergillosis. They also showed a reduced infection load in their organs, the Journal of Medical Microbiology reports. David A. Stevens, of Santa Clara Valley Medical Centre, in whose lab the studies were conducted, said: "The simple preparation... also protect(s) against infection due to three other fungi that cause human diseases - Candida, Cryptococcus and Coccidioides," Stevens added. "Research to date, including our study, supports the development of a yeast vaccine against all pathogenic fungi that infect humans," said Stevens. The finding opens the way to developing a human vaccine that protects immunodeficiency against a range of fungal infections. Immunodeficiency implies a defective immune response which renders people less capable of battling infections. IANS