Butyrate Benefits: 10 Things You Need to Know

If you're like most people, you're probably taking interest in improving your gut health. As several studies suggest, it's one of the keys to optimizing your overall health.

The focus is on improving your microbiome, and the number one reason for this is to get the butyrate benefits that comes with having the right types of gut bacteria.

However, working on your gut health isn’t as simple as taking a probiotic. For one, you’ll need to make the right lifestyle and dietary changes, especially the prebiotic fibers that will boost your butyrate levels.

The 10 Butyrate Benefits

The butyrate benefits aren’t limited to your colon. It also plays an important role in the functions of other body systems.

Below is a list of 10 of its most important health benefits:

1. Fights free radicals

Free radicals are those unstable molecules that cause problems in your body. As they build up in your cells, they damage other molecules like proteins, lipids, and even your DNA. The damage they cause put you at risk of developing diseases such as cancer.

Possessing anti-oxidant properties, butyric acid can help boost your body's defense against free radicals. It's a huge help in fighting off oxidative stress.

Just think about your large intestine.

Like a storage container for your body's waste, it's a good area for free radicals to form and proliferate. Without enough butyrate, you'll have a weak barrier to neutralize them.

2. Solves a leaky gut

If you want your gut to stay healthy and free from issues, there must be enough butyrate in your gut lining.

Think of it as your intestinal barrier. It stops pathogens and toxins from getting into your bloodstream and making you sick. At the same time, it gives vitamins and minerals free access to your bloodstream so that they can go when they're most needed.

3. Supports brain health

The health benefits of butyrate aren't limited to your gut health and gut microbiome; it can also benefit your nervous system with its neuroprotective properties.

Butyrate has the capability to target several pathways which are often associated with stroke, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and even autism. It won't be long before it can be a potential treatment for such diseases.

4. Improves blood sugar

The short chain fatty acid can boost the secretion of peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1. These gut hormones can improve insulin production while limiting glucagon production. 

Keeping both insulin and glucagon production within the normal range is one of the best ways to battle diabetes.

5. Helps prevent cancer

There are certain cells in your body that are able to change to specific types like your blood cell and liver cell. 

When these cells fail to differentiate properly and they just simply grow in numbers, they end up becoming tumours. Eventually, they end up being cancerous.

Butyric acid is capable of promoting cell differentiation. Apart from that, it can also induce apoptosis or a cell's natural death.

6. Promotes better gut lining

The lining of your gut is made up of colonocytes. These cells make sure that your colon is able to absorb the right nutrients. At the same time, they work hard to protect it against yeast, harmful bacteria, and other dangerous pathogens.

Colonocytes rely on butyrate as their main source of fuel. And when there's not enough of it, the lining of your gut weakens, putting you at an increased risk of developing several gut issues.

7. Maintains proper levels of inflammation

It's normal to have a small but controlled amount of colonic inflammation. It's helpful for your gut microbiome.

However, chronic inflammation is a different story. When your body is fighting off pathogens for a long time, it makes your body over-reactive. As a result, it ends up battling substances that aren't really that bad for you.

A histone deacetylase inhibitor, butyric acid shows anti-inflammatory properties.

8. Improves sleep

The gut-brain connection isn't a secret. This is one of the reasons why people who suffer from brain fog and poor sleep try their best to improve their gut health.

Let's talk about brain-derived neurotrophic factors or BDNF.

This metabolite is quite critical in one's ability to learn and remember. Having high levels of butyrate increases its level.

In addition to that, butyrate benefits are also helpful in your brain's ability to rewire. This includes changing your routine or learning a new language.

9. Helps maintain normal blood pressure

The level of butyric acid in your system is inversely proportional to your blood pressure.

To simplify:

Having higher butyrate levels is equal to having low blood pressure. Having low levels of it means having high blood pressure.

This relationship is reflected in several studies, including the one that was done in 2017. The study which involved rats showed the anti-hypertensive effects of sodium butyrate.

10. Prevents unhealthy yeast levels

The presence of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans spells bad news for your health. 

Having good levels of sodium butyrate not only inhibits the spread of yeast but also makes it easier to get rid of them. There are even studies suggesting that it can also boost the effects of anti-fungal drugs.

How To Boost Your Butyric Acid Levels

After reading about the health benefits, you're probably thinking of ways to increase its level in your microbiome. In general, there are three ways to do that:

Doing the Vibrant Wellness Gut Zoomer test can help to identify if you are low in the butyrate producing bacteria, this will help to determine how proactive you need to be. Plus the Gut Zoomer will measure around 300 other gut bacteria and intestinal health markers.

1. Eat more foods that are already rich in butyrate

A really excellent source of butyrate is butter. However, it's not that ideal to consume a lot of it. The same goes for cheese.

For one, butter and cheese are loaded with saturated fat. Eating more than what's recommended can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

2. Eat foods that boost your body's ability to produce butyrate

A safer option is to increase your daily dietary fiber intake by eating more plant-based foods. Rice, boiled potatoes, whole grains, and legumes are good choices. You can also eat more fruits containing fermentable fibers like pears, apples, and kiwi. 

Apart from that, you can add the following to your diet: Broccoli, Onions, Garlic, Chickpeas, Asparagus, Carrots, Potatoes

Now, why do you need to increase your fiber intake?

If you're wondering if you have enough beneficial gut bacteria, you can always take Vibrant Wellness Gut Zoomer Test

3. Take butyrate supplements

If you are like most people who struggle to consume the recommended grams of dietary fiber per day, you can try taking probiotics. Some people experience positive results by doing that.

Or you can simply take butyric acid supplements, this is the fast way to get the butyrate benefits.

Now, if you are thinking of taking one, it's best to talk to your healthcare provider first. This is critical if you are taking other medications or if you have existing health issues.

What Lowers Butyrate Levels?

One of the most common reasons behind low butyrate levels is the poor consumption of foods that trigger its production. Eating too much low carbohydrate foods and following a high-protein diet can lower your butyrate levels as well.

Taking antibiotics can lower the level of butyric acid in your system, too.

You see, when you consume antibiotics, they target bacteria that are responsible for the infection you're experiencing. In the process, they also affect the good bacteria in your gut microbiome. This decreases the bacteria that produce butyrate.

Do You Really Need More Butyrate?

While it's true that butyric acid can help improve your gut health, having higher levels of butyrate isn’t always better for your health.

Consider the following:

Butyrate production, at normal levels, can improve intestinal barrier function. However, when it's present at high concentrations, it can induce apoptosis, ruining intestinal barrier function in the process.

Additionally, people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease show lower levels of butyric acid. A literature review done in 2020 showed IBD patients have fewer butyrate producing bacteria.

Plus, if you have an extra sensitive gut, consuming extra dietary fiber may not be a good thing. It can irritate your colon, trigger inflammation, and boost intestinal motility which can slow down your body's healing process.

If that is the case, consider starting an elimination diet. The low FODMAP diet is one excellent example. Although it may lower your gut's butyrate production, it can help calm abdominal pain and bloating.