Butyrate Health Benefits - Your Gut Bacteria's Super Weapon

Are you looking for an all-natural supplement to provide relief from symptoms such as gas, bloating and abdominal discomfort? Well your not alone, with gut issues affecting more and more people many are trying various probiotics, prebiotics and “gut formulas”. Butyrate supplements are one of the lesser known gut health supplements that is fast becoming a more popular choice. Find out why Butyrate (sometimes known as Butyric Acid) is fast becoming the ‘go to’ supplement for Australians seeking a healthy gut and where to buy the best Butyrate supplements in Australia.

What is Butyrate & Why is it Beneficial to Gut Health?

Butyrate is an essential short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) along with acetate, propionate & valerate which is produced naturally by intestinal bacteria in the large intestine. Butyrate is often used synonymously with sodium butyrate, butyric acid & butanoic acid. Butyrate is found in certain foods such as full-fat dairy. A little bit of trivia… The name Butyrate is actually derived from butter in Greek. Comparative to direct food sources the majority of butyrate comes from the fermentation process by specific gut bacteria when they break down dietary fiber such as non-digestible carbohydrates and in the process produce short chain fatty acids including butyrate. Whilst there are many bacteria in the gut that produce butyrate, some of the common and potent butyrate-producing bacteria are faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia spp., and Eubacterium rectale.

Why is Butyrate So Important?

Within the gut, butyrate has many health benefits. It helps regulate a healthy immune system, keep inflammation at bay, assist with the replication of new cells that make up the gut lining, maintain the intestinal barrier & possibly most importantly Butyrate functions as a primary source of energy for the intestinal epithelial cells. All these key features of butyrate helps to maintain healthy gut flora in the large intestine and promote optimal digestive health.

Outside of the gut butyrate has been shown to have positive effects on sleep, diabetes & in animal studies a host of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease & Alzheimers are showing some promising results. I suspect very shortly we are going to see more human studies carried out looking at butyrate's potential role in the management of these diseases.

Fuels Your Gut Cells

The research has pretty clearly established that Butyrate is the predominant fuel source for intestinal epithelial cells (gut cells), which is unique as most other human cells use glucose as their main energy source. Approximately 95% to 99% of all SCFAs produced in the colon are rapidly absorbed and used as energy by colonic cells. So in short if we want healthy intestinal cells we need to make sure they have the nourishment they need to replicate & butyrate turns out to be one of the key nutrients.

Butyrate Prevents Gut Inflammation

One the most studied effects of butyrate is the anti-inflammatory effects it has in the gut. Studies have shown butyrate inhibits the expression of certain inflammatory mediators such as iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-6, whilst promoting the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Butyrate has also been shown to activate anti-inflammatory cells such as Tregs and M2 macrophages. Butyrate influences gut macrophage differentiation to produce non-inflammatory anti-microbial macrophages. In a study where by researchers supplemented mice with butyrate they found that the macrophages in these mice had significantly enhanced anti-microbial activity

Butyrate also has antioxidant properties which is seen by it's ability to increase the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase-2, catalase & glutathione which further contributes to it's anti-inflammatory effect in the gut & how it is involved with mopping up free radicals.

A feature of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and what distinguishes it from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the presence of significant inflammation levels in the gut. Studies have shown that in patients with inflammatory bowel disease typically what is observed with the gut microbiome is decreased levels of SCFAs-producing bacteria in particular butyrate.

Other studies have also identified in children with IBD decreased SCFA levels in feces is a common finding comparative to healthy individuals.

In IBS it's not quite so straightforward. Whilst overall fecal SCFAs were decreased in individuals with constipation-dominant IBS compared to healthy controls, the reverse was seen with diarrhea-dominant IBS, whereby they were shown to have higher levels.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Butyrate - Beyond the Gut

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), such as acetate, butyrate and propionate, are end-products of microbial fermentation of macronutrients that distribute systemically via the blood. Butyrate has been shown to strongly inhibit the release of several pro-inflammatory chemokines as well as inhibiting some of the inflammatory chemicals that are associated with pathogenic gram negative bacteria. The authors of a 2015 study looking specifically into the effect of butyrate on inflammatory substances concluded

This work illustrates that bacterial metabolites [butyrate] far from the site of their production can differentially modulate the inflammatory response and generally provides new insights into host-microbiome interactions.

Butyrate Emerging Evidence of COVID Protection

One of the more critical roles butyrate has is it's ability to modulate our immune system via interacting with several different immune system receptors. Butyrate has been shown to promote the differentiation of important Treg immune cells, activate B lymphocytes & regulation of neutrophils.

Several studies have been done investigating the gut microbiome and it's relevance to COVID-19. For a run down on the studies and what has been shown so far check out the blog post COVID-19 : Where does the Gut Microbiome fit in?

What seems to be a common theme with the recent studies to date, the gut microbiome in people with more significant and severe symptoms of COVID-19 have dysbiosis as evidenced by increased abundance of opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria such as Enterococcus and Eneterobacteriacea coupled with a decrease of butyrate-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii compared to patients with only mild symptoms. Furthermore a reduction in butyrate producing bacteria was associated with increased levels of C Reactive Protein indicating increased inflammation.

A recent study published in 2022 found the abundance of SCFA producing bacteria was markedly reduced in symptomatic COVID-19 patients relative to healthy individuals as well as asymptomatic positive COVID-19 individuals.

It has also be shown that these alterations of decreased abundance of butyrate-producing bacterial in the gut microbiome of COVID-19 individuals persist beyond 30 days after recovery from COVID-19 and positively correlated with disease severity.

Given these consistent findings relating the gut microbiome & COVID-19 from the studies done certain researchers have concluded:

we hypothesize that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid initially produced by the gut microbiota, could be administered as supportive therapy to prevent immune system activation and disease progression.

Butyrate & Cancer Protective Effects

Colorectal cancer is responsible for approximately 9% of cancer-related deaths ranking it the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Studies have shown that sodium butyrate in vitro can induce programmed cell death in colonic adenoma and carcinoma cells, therefore, suggested as having a protective effect against colon cancer. Given that fibre feeds butyrate-producing bacteria is why researchers have speculated that a high fibre diet appears to have a protective effect against colon cancer.

What's even more interesting is the opposing effects butyrate has on normal healthy colon cells whereby it increases cell weight, increases DNA content, and increases proliferation/replication versus cancer cells in which it inhibits the replication of cells and reduces cellular replication.

Another interesting anticarcinogenic mechanism that butyrate appears to have on colon cells is via its ability to upregulate Glutathione-s-transferases (GST) which is known for its role in detoxifying carcinogens and blocking cancer initiation.

Aside from the gut, butyrates anti-carcinogenic effects have been seen in lung cancer, prostate & breast cancers to list a few examples.

Butyrate Helps Plug a Leaky Gut

Studies have shown that butyrate helps strengthen the tight junctions between the intestinal cells by enhancing the production of protective mucus. Which in less scientific terms, butyrate helps in the prevention of leaky gut. Another mechanism in which butyrate regulates intestinal barrier function is by the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) thereby accelerating the assembly of tight junctions & preventing leaky gut.

Butyrates Sleep Enhancing Properties

In years gone by if someone were to say that our gut bacteria released certain chemicals & substances that impacted our sleep you'd probably think they were crazy. Turns out that bacteria do release a sleep inducing substance called Factor S & has been shown to build up in our brain when we are sleep deprived. Whilst many gaps in the research still need to be filled regarding the gut microbiome and its relationship with sleep we do know from the current studies that gut bacteria are a source of sleep-inducing signals.

In a recent 2022 study looking at the gut microbiome of patients with insomnia and comparing it to healthy controls found distinct differences in the gut microbiota in individuals with insomnia.

In this study, we observed a remarkable change in the composition of gut microbiota in patients with insomnia disorder compared with healthy controls.

Researchers have turned to short-chain fatty acids in particular butyrate to see if some of the sleep changes seen in previous studies could be due to bacterial production of butyrate. One particular study using mice the researchers mimicked the production of butyrate in the gut by orally administering tributyrin. They found a 50% increase in non-rapid-eye movement sleep (NREMS) in mice for 4 hours after the treatment, supporting their hypothesis that butyrate may serve as a sleep inducing and enhancing signaling molecule.

In another study, researches wanted to see the effect of a butyrate supplement on cognitive impairment associated with induced sleep deprivation. They gave sleep deprived mice butyrate and found it restored healthy inflammatory responses and memory impairment.

Butyrate & Brain Support

Interestingly butyrate has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. Unfortunately despite being able to cross the BBB the actual amount of Butyrate (and other SCFAs for that matter) that is generally taken up by the brain is quite underwhelming. Comparative to the research focussed on the localised gut effects, butyrate's role in neurological disorders and cognitive functioning is sparse.

There have been numerous animal studies that have shown beneficial effects of sodium butyrate supplementation in Parkinsons Disease. Studies have shown in humans with Parkinson's Disease a common feature when compared to healthy controls have a lower abdunce of butyrate producing bacteria and subsequent lower levels of faecal SCFA concentration.

Potential gut–brain pathways in which SCFAs such as Butyrate can Impact the Brain. SCFAs might influence gut–brain communication and brain function directly or indirectly through immune, endocrine, nervous system via vagus nerve and other humoral pathways. Image from “The role of short-chain fatty acids in microbiota–gut–brain communication”

Butyrate Improves Metabolic Function & Protects Against Insulin Resistance

Butyrate has been shown in studies done on mice to have a protective effect against the development of diet-induced insulin resistance. Researchers supplemented mice with sodium butyrate and it was found that butyrate helped prevent and also treat diet induced insulin resistance. Furthermore, in obese mice, supplementation of butyrate led to an increase in insulin sensitivity and a reduction in adiposity (fat gain).

In a large cross sectional study of 2166 individuals researchers set out to see if there were associations with the gut microbiome composition with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The results showed that individuals with more butyrate-producing gut bacteria was associated with less type 2 diabetes and with lower insulin resistance among individuals without diabetes.

Butyrate encourages the production of satiety hormones, resulting in decreased food intake. (Lin et.al., 2012)

How To Optimise Butyrate In Your Gut?

Now that we have covered what butyrate is & its importance to our health let's take a closer look at how we can test for butyrate levels in the gut, how to improve our butyrate levels. Which prebiotics and what foods produce butyrate in the gut. The evidence for butyrate supplements & how to choose the best Butyrate & Butyric acid supplements.

Human cells don't produce significant amounts of butyrate and as such we are reliant on butyrate from foods such as full-fat dairy products being one of the food groups containing the most butyrate. Aside from full fat dairy there aren't any other foods that would be considered significant contributors to exogenous butyrate. Comparatively to the butyrate production from the good gut bacteria, food sources of butyrate don't stack up nearly as well. You'd have to eat considerably more butter than what would be considered healthy so not something we can solely rely on to increase butyrate levels in the gut. Therefore humans are reliant upon endogenous production within the gut for the most part.

How To Test Your Butyrate Levels

Before we move onto ways to increase butyrate levels in the gut you may be asking yourself, or I would hope that you would be at least wondering if you have low butyrate levels. Since we now have an appreciation for the importance of healthy butyrate levels in the gut, what is the best way of knowing what your butyrate level actually is? Fecal testing is a relatively straight forward way of testing for SCFAs and Butyrate levels in the gut. It is often part of a comprehensive GI microbiome mapping test such as the Complete Microbiome Mapping Stool Test in Australia. This is by far the most utilised gut testing I do with my patients and provides a comprehensive analysis of the microbiome, butyrate levels, inflammation in the gut + a few more key gut health markers. A word of caution however whilst stool testing gives us a butyrate level in the fecal sample it isn’t necessarily an accurate representation of the luminal concentration which is what is important, so personally I tend to let the clinical case and gut microbiota profile guide me in determining if we are going to supplement with butyrate.

Foods To Enhance Butyrate Production

Omega-3 fatty acids - not just a natural anti-inflammatory

Most of the benefits that omega-3 fatty acids are praised for are the anti-inflammatory properties they have. However, a less known benefit they can lay claim to is their effect on the gut microbiome.

Studies have shown that a diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats increases the abundance of butyrate producing bacteria in the gut and generally improves the gut microbiome to represent that of a healthier balance of organisms.

Fibre the Ultimate Butyrate Producer

Utilising the gut bacteria to ferment dietary fiber is a potent way to increase butyrate production along with the other short-chain fatty acids. The best part of leveraging our gut bacteria by putting them to work and producing butyrate is it's entirely free as opposed to paying for butyrate supplements. The only caveat is it's all well and very good and a pretty story but if we don't have sufficient levels of butyrate producing bacteria in our gut to start with then we are potentially going to have low butyrate levels & may indeed benefit from a period of supplementing with butyrate while we work on improving the gut microbiome.

Prebiotics and Butyrate

Another subtype of fibre, prebiotics are a viable way of increasing butyrate levels. Specific prebiotic fibres have been shown in the studies to feed butyrate-producing bacteria & therefore increase butyrate concentration in the gut. We know from the studies that bacteria have different food preferences and as such prebiotics tend to favour the growth of certain species. Of the butyrate-producing bacteria, F. prausnitzii and Eubacterium rectale utilise fructose, oligofructose and inulin to produce butyrate while B. pullicaecorum and Eubacterium hallii can only utilise fructose.

Some of the common prebiotic fibres that have been shown to increase the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria are xylooligosaccharides (XOS), inulin, Partially Hydrolysed Guar Gum (PHGG), Resistant Starch & Pectin.

Butyrate & Butyric Acid supplements - What are the Benefits of Taking Butyrate Supplements & What Dosage ?

Butyrate supplements can provide several advantages to those looking to improve their digestion and overall gut health. Butyrate supplementation helps support the lining of your digestive tract by maintaining intestinal pH balance, increasing energy levels, promoting healthy bacteria growth in your microbiota and aiding in nutrient absorption. Additionally, butyrate has been known to support immunity, healthy digestion and metabolism, reduce inflammation, and promote better sleep quality.

Research into the use of Butyrate as a supplement has shown promising outcomes across a range of health conditions. In one particular study, 66 participants with medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome were given a microencapsulated sodium butyrate supplement or placebo for 4 weeks. Pain associated with bowel movements were significantly less in the individuals who were supplementing with butyrate. There was also improvements with bowel habits and urgency in the butyrate supplement group, with the authors concluding:

It [butyrate supplement] significantly decreases the frequency of clinical symptoms including spontaneous abdominal pain, postprandial abdominal pain, abdominal pain during defecation, stool consistency and constipation.

A small clinical study of 13 patients with Crohn's Disease, which is a form of Irritable Bowel Disease investigated the effect of 4 g/day of a butyrate supplement as enteric-coated tablets for 8 weeks. 69% of patients responded favourably to the butyrate supplement and 53% achieved remission.

As for Butyrate dosage, it’s not uncommon to see dosages in the vicinity of 3-4grams used in clinical research studies & thus dosages in that ballpark are often recommended on labels of butyrate supplements.

How to select the right butyrate supplement?

When choosing a Butyrate supplement, it is important to make sure that you select one that is of the highest quality and potency in order to achieve the health benefits. Look for supplements that are free from artificial ingredients, as this ensures maximum efficacy.

Tesseract ProButyrate is a brilliant butyrate supplement offering a good therapeutic dosage as well as pioneering the field of natural supplements with their advanced absorption & delivery technology. ProButyrate® is a Butyrate supplement using the purest possible Butanoic acid, unlike other Butyric supplements that use Butyric salt. Tesseract utilises an advanced delivery system that encapsulates its supplements so that the ingredients can weather exposure to stomach acids, preventing loss of bioavailability as the result of digestion. ProButyrate is specifically designed to deliver butyrate to the colon (without the issue of dissolution in the oral cavity), making it more effective than traditional butyrate salts. It also requires a significantly lower dose to achieve therapeutic effects - only 600-1200 mg/day compared to the traditional 3-4 g/day required with most butyrate salt formulations.

From my own clinical experience using Butyrate supplements with patients I have noticed Tesseract ProButyrate® consistently produces the most positive outcomes & a very good track record for improving constipation.

BodyBio Calcium/Magnesium Butyrate is another one that I use a lot of in clinical practice & also consistent results have been observed. BodyBio offers a good clean therapeutic dosage & reputable company that specialise in advanced supplements. BodyBio also have a straight Sodium Butyrate Supplement, which is much the same as their Calcium/Magnesium Butyrate version - the difference between the two formulas is the minerals used to bind the butyric acid, ie. Sodium vs Calcium & Magnesium which act as a buffer to allow the butyric acid to reach the gut. All in all the Butyrate concentration is identical. So which Butyrate Supplement is better between the two formulas? We stock and use the Calcium/Magnesium Butyrate formula simply to avoid adding any additional sodium to ones daily intake.

BodyBio also produce TUDCA which is another supplement I have found very beneficial with a lot of patients with many different health benefits, you can read more about TUDCA specifically over at this article.

Where to buy butyrate supplements in Australia

The above mentioned Butyrate supplements which I feel are the pick of the bunch with what's available can be found at the Holistic Lifestyler On-Line Store in Australia.

Be sure to do your research when selecting the right product for you. Check all the ingredients and make sure there aren't a lot of fillers, the minimum the better. Also check the dosages many supplement companies will contain proprietary blends in which case we don't know the specific dosage of the ingredient in question if it's part of the proprietary blend. I can appreciate that a company may genuinely want to protect their formulation but when we are looking at using a therapeutic dosage clinically this is not ideal.

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