The British food spread Marmite is well known to polarise opinion (people either love or hate the taste with few people showing indifference). Wikipedia describes it as:
... the product is a sticky, dark brown food paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty...
Marmite is rich in B vitamins including thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid (B9) and vitamin B12. The sodium content of the spread is high and has caused concern, although it is the amount per serving rather than the percentage in bulk Marmite that is relevant. The main ingredient of Marmite is yeast extract, which contains a high concentration of glutamic acid.
A recent story claims that Marmite might be good for the brain. Gizmodo reports it thus:
The brown yeast product that lunatics smear on toast has received a staggering PR boost today from academics at the University of York, who say eating a bit of Marmite each day was linked to positive changes in the brain that could turn consumers into more balanced individuals.
Is this claim credible?
Added: Here's the press release with a link to the paper.
