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Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on May 1,
Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on May 1, — Reviewed by Hannah Wright
Butyrate has become a popular term in the world of gut health. Butyrate supplements are often marketed as solutions for gut issues, based on their potential benefits for the digestive system.
But does research back the benefits of butyrate supplements? Let’s take a look at butyrate, its functions, and whether upping your intake by taking supplemental butyrate will deliver on its promises.
Butyrate (butyric acid) is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA). That means it’s a type of “good fat,” though it’s not widely found in food. Butter is the best food source, but most of the butyrate in our bodies is produced by bacteria in the bowels 1.
Beneficial gut bacteria in the colon ferment (break down) fiber and carbohydrates—prebiotics like resistant starch—that the gastrointestinal tract can’t digest. This fermentation process makes SCFAs as byproducts. Of these, butyrate is the most well-known, but other common SCFAs include propionate and acetate.
If you’re into the scientific details (like I am), some of the main bacteria responsible for producing butyrate—accounting for about 5–10% of bacteria in the human gut—include 2:
Butyrate-producing bacteria are key to gut health. The butyrate they make helps block harmful microbes from taking hold by keeping the gut environment low in oxygen, which harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli need 3.
Butyrate also fuels gut cells and triggers the production of natural germ-fighting compounds like cathelicidins and reuterin. These substances help keep the balance of good microbes in check and prevent infections 3.
A popular theory is that taking probiotics will increase butyrate levels and improve gut health. But the research we have so far doesn’t strongly support that. Instead, studies suggest that probiotics may increase butyrate levels a little, but not enough to be meaningful 4 5 6.
Since the jury is still out on the benefits of supplementing with probiotics that make butyrate, what about supplementing with butyrate directly? Let’s break down where butyrate supplements (aka sodium butyrate) seem to provide benefit—and where they may be less than helpful.
They may improve weight and metabolic health.
A randomized controlled trial (gold standard of human studies) found that people with obesity who took sodium butyrate supplements for eight weeks had greater reductions in weight, BMI, waist size, blood sugar, and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol than those who took a placebo 7.
They may reduce symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
A randomized controlled trial showed that people with active ulcerative colitis—an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—who took sodium butyrate supplements for 12 weeks had lower inflammation, a healthier circadian rhythm, and better sleep and quality of life than those who took a placebo 8.
Another trial supported these findings: It found that sodium butyrate supplements can increase gut bacteria that produce anti-inflammatory SCFAs, which may reduce inflammation and improve quality of life for people with IBD 9.
They may support a healthier gut microbiome.
Randomized controlled trials show that sodium butyrate supplements can increase the levels of beneficial gut microbes such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Butyricicoccus, and Lachnospiraceae 9 10.
They may relieve symptoms of IBS.
A randomized controlled trial involving 60 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) found that those who took sodium butyrate for 12 weeks had less abdominal pain, constipation, and pain during bowel movements than those who took a placebo 11.
They may help reduce episodes of diverticulitis.
A randomized controlled trial found that diverticulosis patients who took sodium butyrate for 12 months had fewer diverticulitis episodes (acutely inflamed pouches in the intestine) and better quality of life than those who took a placebo 12.
They may protect against traveler’s diarrhea.
A randomized controlled trial found that travellers who took sodium butyrate and other SCFAs for three days before their trip—and while traveling—had fewer occurrences of traveller’s diarrhea than those who took a placebo 13.
Note that all these potential benefits are supported by well-designed studies, but they’re pretty small and sparse. That means we don’t yet have a large body of evidence showing that butyrate supplements are especially beneficial.
They may raise cholesterol and insulin in type 2 diabetes.
A randomized controlled trial showed that people with type 2 diabetes who took sodium butyrate for six weeks had lower blood pressure and blood sugar after meals, but they also had higher cholesterol and insulin compared to those who took a placebo. Though we need more studies to be sure, in this study butyrate supplements weren’t clearly better than placebo—in some ways they may have been worse 14.
Elevated butyrate is linked to worse metabolic health in some people.
An observational (data comparison) study found that people with higher butyrate levels in their poop samples were significantly associated with 15:
Note that this observational study cannot tell us whether:
Some researchers believe that butyrate may contribute to obesity, but until we understand how it works, we can’t make that call 16.
Because the research on supplementation is mixed, it might be better to simply get your butyrate the old-fashioned way—through your diet—before investing in a butyrate supplement.
As I mentioned earlier, butyrate isn’t found directly in food—instead, your gut bacteria make it by fermenting (breaking down) prebiotic fibers, particularly resistant starch. Here are some foods that are great sources of resistant starch:
*Tip for increasing resistant starch in potatoes and rice: Cooked and then thoroughly cooled rice and potatoes (such as leftovers) have more resistant starch than when they’re freshly prepared.
Additionally, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables rich in fermentable fibers can encourage a healthy population of butyrate-producing bacteria in your gut. Some examples include:
What does all this mean? There’s no simple equation that says high butyrate equals good gut health and low butyrate equals poor gut health.
In some cases, high butyrate levels might actually signal gut problems, like inflammation or a leaky gut 17 18.
For more information, please visit butyric acid benefits.
What’s more, people with digestive issues might hear that butyrate is great and start loading up on fiber and prebiotic supplements to boost it—thinking it will help. But that can backfire.
Although a high-fiber diet is good for a healthy gut, it can make symptoms worse for people with sensitive guts or existing problems, like bloating or IBS.
Research shows that for many people with gut issues, particularly IBS, a low FODMAP diet (which restricts certain fermentable carbs and their fibers), can significantly reduce symptoms and improve gut health. This is true even though a low FODMAP diet can reduce the diversity of gut bacteria and how much butyrate they produce 19 20.
So, although eating a high-fiber diet (which is also high in FODMAPs) might sound ideal in theory, real-world clinical evidence supports limiting certain fibers for those with sensitive or compromised guts. For example, an umbrella meta-analysis (a study of many meta-analyses) found that a low FODMAP diet can improve stool consistency, frequency, overall gut discomfort, and quality of life in people with IBS 21.
We have found this to be true in the clinic. After our clients follow a temporary low FODMAP diet (while taking probiotics and building a gut-supportive lifestyle) for 4–6 weeks, they start to tolerate foods that certain bacteria can use to make butyrate.
Every step—starting with this gentle diet and adding in probiotics (more on that next)—helps build a healthier gut, which becomes more capable of processing a diverse diet that feeds butyrate-producing bacteria.
Although the evidence for probiotics and butyrate supplements boosting butyrate levels is inconsistent, the research on the benefits of probiotics for gut problems is pretty solid.
Before experimenting with butyrate supplements for gut health, we recommend that our clients who struggle with inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and other gut issues take a well-formulated broad-spectrum probiotic supplement.
Why? Extensive research shows that probiotics can:
To choose a quality probiotic, look for one that is:
Butyrate undoubtedly plays an important role in gut health. For people with a healthy gut, eating a varied diet rich in plant fibers and prebiotics is usually enough to support natural butyrate production—no need for a butyrate supplement.
However, for those with gut problems like IBS, research shows that reducing fermentable carbs and fiber with a low FODMAP diet—while using probiotics—can help calm the gut. This makes it easier later on to handle a more varied diet that feeds the good bacteria that make butyrate.
If you’re looking for more gut health support, you can check out my book, Healthy Gut, Healthy You, which has a comprehensive step-by-step plan for gut healing. Or, for more individualized healthcare support, please reach out and request a consultation.
The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations to help our clients and audience. If you’re interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you. The information on DrRuscio.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, natural health provider, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as the book Healthy Gut, Healthy You. He also founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, where he helps patients with a wide range of GI conditions and serves as the Head of Research.Gut health is an exciting, emerging field in medicine. With the ever-increasing wealth of information on what makes our microbiomes tick, it can be difficult to know what, exactly, you should adopt to improve your gut. As is the case with just about any routine change, doing something small to begin is always a good idea. And while there are many small changes you can make for better gut health, one area that’s been receiving more attention is getting enough butyrate, a little-known, gut-friendly compound.
We spoke with Jennifer Katz, a former health coach with Parsley Health, to learn more about how butyrate works and butyrate deficiency symptoms.
Butyrate, or butyric acid, is what’s known as a postbiotic: a byproduct of our gut’s natural fermentation process. Katz explains, when we eat foods that are rich in fiber, our gut bacteria consumes that fiber and leaves behind beneficial compounds—including, with certain foods, butyrate. She adds that butyrate is one of several short-chain fatty acids that support our overall health. Where long-chain and medium-chain fatty acids are relatively easy to acquire through the foods we eat, short-chain fatty acids tend to be less common in most people’s diets. Nevertheless, they’re important to seek out.
“Short-chain fatty acid is so important because it serves as almost an instant energy source,” Katz explains, adding that short-chain fatty acids are easier to turn into energy than their long and medium counterparts. “It can be a burst of energy for the brain; it can turn into ketones very quickly; it can help rebuild the epithelial cells in the intestinal lining.” Research suggests short-chain fatty acids may also help bolster the immune system and improve sleep quality.
According to Katz, recent and emerging research suggests that our microbiome specifically stands to benefit from a diet that provides us with an adequate amount of butyrate: “[It] can help maintain balance in the gut, it can help provide energy for the colon, and it has been shown to help reduce all-around inflammation.” And, given short-chain fatty acids’ ability to repair the intestinal lining, butyrate may also help prevent leaky gut.
This condition arises when our intestinal barrier is compromised: Normally, our intestinal lining consists of tightly connected cells with regulated junctions between them that do not permit any bacteria or toxic substances to go across the intestinal lining and get into your blood. If those perforations become more permeable, unwanted molecules (including large food particles, bacteria, and toxins) can make their way through as well, leading to an increase in inflammation, gastrointestinal discomfort (i.e., gas, cramps, and bloating), chronic conditions like celiac disease and gluten intolerance and other, potentially more serious, health complications.
There are many reasons these perforations may become more permeable, from inflammation in the body to antibiotics to infections. Katz adds, "Everything from diabetes to cancer to food allergies to general malaise to brain fog — you name it — can be associated with a leaky gut."
Butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria during the fermentation of dietary fiber—plays a critical role in improving the function of the intestinal barrier. It enhances the assembly of tight junctions between intestinal cells, reduces inflammation, and helps maintain gut integrity. Butyrate may also protect against food allergies, stabilize blood sugar levels, support brain health, and reduce systemic inflammation.
However, Katz is quick to note, however, that these benefits come with a caveat: “[Butyrate is] newly studied, so a lot of these [findings] are brand new. The studies haven’t been repeated but they have shown really good things thus far.” In other words, butyrate is by no means a silver bullet, but it may still be in your interest to add butyrate-rich foods to your diet.
Because butyrate is a fairly specific and isolated compound, it’s unlikely that anyone will suffer from symptoms that can be directly linked to a butyrate deficiency. Instead, Katz says looking at your eating habits may help you determine whether you’re getting enough butyrate. “Those with a low fiber diet are probably lacking butyrate,” she says. “Fiber is extremely important for butyric acid to actually do its thing and to be made.” Again, the good bugs in your gut consume the fiber from the foods you eat and create butyrate in the process—so, insufficient fiber can mean insufficient butyrate.
Katz says people dealing with inflammation or gut imbalances, perhaps due to antibiotic use, indigestion, or IBS, are also more likely to lack butyrate. Aside from that, anyone who’s invested in having a healthy microbiome may want to take a greater interest in their butyrate intake, due to the positive impact it can have on intestinal function.
As far as how to increase your butyrate intake goes, Katz’s recommendation is simple: “This is one of those things that you can take preventatively. You can take a butyrate supplement, but you really do want to get it from your food.”
Where some foods contain the fiber necessary to create butyrate in the body, other foods are, in and of themselves, rich in butyrate. Chief among this latter category is a variety of dairy products (though if you’re intolerant or sensitive to dairy, you’ll want to steer clear) including the following:
Butter
Milk
Certain hard cheeses
You can also consume foods that don’t necessarily contain butyrate but will help the bugs in your gut create it. Here are the best foods to add to your diet:
High-fiber fruits and vegetables, including apples, broccoli, potatoes, and dark greens
Legumes
Nuts, particularly walnuts
Sauerkraut
While most people should be able to get enough butyrate from foods alone, Katz notes two groups who may want to consider supplementing it instead.
First, she points to those with food intolerances and allergies. If you’re lactose intolerant, for example, you certainly shouldn’t try eating butter and cheese just because they contain this helpful compound. In that case, Katz says you may want to talk to your doctor about trying a supplement—and to consider gut healing or allergy therapy in order to work your way out of that intolerance.
Second, she points to people with imbalanced gut microbiomes and digestive issues that range from those who deal with IBS to those who have an ostomy bag or are undergoing colon therapies.
This group may have microbiomes that are in such a “deficient state,” as Katz puts it, that starting with a butyrate supplement may help them play catch-up and eventually reach a point where they can more easily digest the kinds of foods that will naturally provide them with more butyrate. “It’s sort of a catch-22,” Katz says. “You need great digestion in order to get what you need out of the foods that give you butyrate, but you also need butyrate to get good digestion. It may depend on where you’re starting from.”
When in doubt, ask your healthcare provider about what you can do to increase or maintain your gut health. Starting that conversation will give you a much better idea of your microbiome’s individual needs.
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