What’s butyrate? Butyrate (pronounced “BYOO-ter-ate”), also known as butyric acid, is a short chain fatty acid that’s important for the health of the intestinal lining. In the intestines, butyrate acts is the preferred fuel for cells of the gut wall, supporting their growth and maintenance. In the small intestine, butyrate enhances the function of the gut barrier, tightening the ‘gaps’ between epithelial cells, which keeps the gut lining from becoming overly permeable to substances that shouldn’t get through the gut walls into the bloodstream and lymph.
Are there food sources of butyrate? Yes! It’s found in butter and animal meats. But if you’re a vegetarian, or lactose-intolerant, you’re better off letting your gut flora make butyrate for you. That’s right: certain species of intestinal bacteria make butyrate for us—-but only if they’re fed properly. That’s because butyrate is produced by the bacterial fermentation of certain dietary fibers. Here are a few of those foods:
- Vegetables high in inulin, such as onions, garlic, jerusalem artichokes, brussels sprouts
- Foods high in resistant starches: potatotes, green bananas, raw oats, lentils and beans
- Polyphenol-rich foods: raspberries,blueberries, blackberries, walnuts, cocoa, green tea, red wine, blue grapes
- Fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut
Which bacteria make butyrate? The top butyrate producers include roseburia, f. prausnitzii, eubacteria, and more. None of these can yet be found in commercial probiotic pills and powders, but most individuals have small colonies of these residing in their intestinal tract. To grow the size of these colonies, we need to FEED them so they’ll make butyrate as a post-biotic.
What if you’re following a low-FODMAP diet? The Low-FODMAP diet can be helpful in reducing symptoms of gas and bloating, because it stops feeding the butyrate-producers. Remember, butyrate is an important nutrient for the gut lining. So if you have IBS and are eating a restricted diet, it’s important to realize that this could be causing more harm than good by reducing your butyrate-making bacteria.
Conditions that may reduce your butyrate-making gut flora include:
-antibiotic use
-high fat, low fiber diet
-stress
-use of artificial sweeteners
-use of processed foods containing emulsifiers (polysorbate 80, carboxylmethylcellulose etc.)
-imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis)
-inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis)
-heavy alcohol use
What if you don’t want to change your diet? Are there butyrate supplements available? Yes, butyrate is available as a nutritional supplement. But it is has a strong odour! The best way to minimize this is to use butyrate capsules, not liquid.
Take care of your gut flora by feeding them healthy foods, and they will take care of you!