Butyrate for Gut Health (what it is & how to promote production)
WHAT ARE SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS?
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced when gut microbes ferment certain indigestible fibers.
SCFAs benefit the body by improving cholesterol & triglyceride levels, insulin sensitivity, immune function, mitochondrial health, and systemic inflammation.
BENEFITS OF BUTYRATE
Butyrate is the SCFA that remains concentrated in the gut and serves as the primary fuel for colon cells.
It also promotes gut health by improving nutrient & water absorption, decreasing colon pH, increasing blood flow to the intestines & liver, and protecting against the development of colon cancer.
Supporting healthy levels of butyrate-producing bacteria helps to counter methanogen overgrowth & relieve constipation.
A KEY SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACID
As with a factory assembly line, optimal butyrate production depends on 3 things:
1) sufficient levels of butyrate-producing species (the machinery)
2) sufficient levels of food for those species (the raw materials)
3) balanced gut transit time (how quickly the assembly line moves)
Diet has a major impact on the composition of the gut microbiome, so eating a variety of fibrous plant foods is ideal for maximizing SCFA production.
BUTYRATE-PRODUCING SPECIES
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
Roseburia spp
Intestinibacter
Eubacterium rectale
Blautia
Subdoligranulum
Clostridium cluster IV
INCREASE BUTYRATE-PRODUCING SPECIES
soluble fiber & cellulose from beans, whole grains, apples, sweet potatoes, vegetables
resistant starch from oat bran, barley, cooked & cooled potatoes, inulin, green bananas
psyllium seeds
partially-hydrolyzed guar gum (6 g/day)
DECREASE BUTYRATE-PRODUCING SPECIES
specific carbohydrate diet
ketogenic diet
high-protein, low-carb
high-fat, low-carb
Standard American Diet
diets low in fiber or vegetables
metformin
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image: Parada Venegas, D., Landskron, G., González, M. J., Quera, R., Dijkstra, G., Harmsen, H. J., Faber, K. N., & Hermoso, M. A. (2019). Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)-Mediated Gut Epithelial and Immune Regulation and Its Relevance for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00277