Butyric acid is a fatty acid created when the beneficial bacteria in your gut break down dietary fiber. It also exists in small amounts in some foods like vegetable oils and animal fats. Butyric acid has numerous benefits to gut health and can play a role in repairing the gut lining. In this article, we will explore butyric acid benefits in depth.
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What Is Butyric Acid?
When the beneficial bacteria in your gut break down dietary fiber, they produce a short-chain fatty acid called butyric acid, also known as butyrate and butanoic acid. This fatty acid is also present in some foods, like animal fats and vegetable oils.
Short-chain fatty acids are fatty acids that come from when beneficial bacteria break down dietary fiber, and butyric acid is one of the three most common short-chain fatty acids in the gut. The two most common short-chain fatty acids are propionic acid and acetic acid. Together these three fatty acids compose up to 95% of the short-chain fatty acids in your gut.
Short-chain fatty acids like butyric acid provide colon cells with energy. Short-chain fatty acids also modulate the tissue metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. As a result, short-chain fatty acids can improve gut health, from maintaining intestinal barrier integrity and mucus production to protecting against inflammation and preventing digestive disorders and diseases.
While gut bacteria produce butyric acid, many people have disrupted gut microbiomes that can limit butyric acid production. Butyric acid is in foods in small amounts; however, the amounts are not significant enough to provide many benefits. Because of this, butyric acid supplements can be a great support to restoring gut health in numerous ways.
What Are the Benefits of Butyric Acid?
There are many butyric acid benefits. Some of the top butyric acid uses include:
Butyric Acid May Repair the Gut Lining
Your gut lining is a single-cell thick wall that allows nutrients to pass through your bloodstream while keeping toxins out. However, poor diet, gut inflammation, Candida overgrowth, and imbalances in the gut microbiome can create tiny holes in the gut lining. When this happens, toxins and undigested food particles pass through your blood. This condition is known as intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome.
When someone has leaky gut syndrome, toxins leaking into the bloodstream get distributed throughout the body. As a result, they can impact the health of major organs and tissues. The body recognizes the food particles that pass through as pathogens to the immune system. The immune system then creates antibodies that attack these food particles whenever they enter the body. This immune response leads to food allergies and sensitivities that you never had before. In fact, according to research by Harvard Medical School, leaky gut is at the root of numerous health conditions.
Butyric Acid is a powerful compound that fights leaky gut by helping to repair the gut lining. It produces short-chain fatty acids that restore damaged intestinal tissue.
Butyric acid also acts on the fungal stage of candida, destroying the root-like structures that penetrate the gut lining and contribute to a leaky gut.
A leaky gut can contribute to numerous health conditions, such as:
Chronic diarrhea, constipation, or bloating
Nutritional deficiencies
Tiredness and fatigue
Headaches
Brain fog and confusion
Difficulty concentrating
Skin problems, such as acne, rashes, or eczema
Joint pain
Widespread inflammation
Chronic liver disease
Diabetes
Food allergies and sensitivities
Polycystic ovary syndrome and much more.
Butyric acid can play a crucial role in healing leaky gut when used as part of a more comprehensive GI protocol.
Butyric Acid May Lower Gut Inflammation
Inflammation is a natural process of the body and is a significant function of your immune system. When your body is injured or at risk of infection from toxins or pathogens, your body has a localized inflammatory response that plays a critical role in healing.
Short-term inflammation is beneficial; however, if inflammation persists over time, it can become chronic and detrimental to your health. For example, chronic inflammation in the gut can disrupt digestive health and be harmful to the gut lining. Chronic gut inflammation is a major contributing factor to the leaky gut syndrome.
Not only can butyric acid help heal leaky gut and repair the gut lining, but it can also lower the inflammation that is a major cause of leaky gut syndrome. Of course, it is essential to focus on removing things from your diet and lifestyle that may contribute to a leaky gut in the first place. Still, butyric acid may play a beneficial role in keeping gut inflammation levels low and supporting gut healing.
Butyric Acid May Help Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn's disease
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder that affects the large intestine. People with irritable bowel syndrome may suffer from cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea or constipation, or both.
Chron's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract. It can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia.
Butyric Acid May Help Eliminate Candida Infections
Candida is a type of yeast that naturally lives in your body in small amounts. Typically, the good bacteria in your gut and your immune system keep Candida levels under control. However, when the balance of good bacteria to yeast is not balanced, candida can grow out of control and lead to a Candida infection.
Candida yeast is single-celled fungi. When candida can grow beyond normal levels, they take on a pathogenic fungal form that travels up the intestinal wall. This form of candida can penetrate the gut lining, leading to leaky gut syndrome.
Butyric acid helps preserve the strength and integrity of the gut lining and may contain antifungal properties that can kill the fungal stage of candida. Supplementing with butyric acid may play a beneficial role in treating Candida infections and restoring damage to the gut lining caused by candida.
Butyric Acid May Support Liver Health
Some research has also shown that butyric acid may influence inflammatory markers in the liver. However, the underlying mechanism of butyric acid's effect on liver health is still uncertain.
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What Foods Contain Butyric Acid?
While butyric acid is primarily produced in the gut by beneficial bacteria, certain foods contain butyric acid. Some of the top butyric acid foods include:
Ghee
Butter
Cow milk
Goat milk
Red meat
Vegetable oils
Parmesan cheese
Sauerkraut
Ghee and butter are the best butyric acid-rich foods as they are particularly high in short-chain fatty acids. Milk is another food rich in butyric acid. There are small amounts of butyric acid in chocolate, but only in milk chocolate, as the butyric acid exists in the milk fats. There is no butyric acid in the chocolate itself.
In the gut, butyric acid is produced by beneficial bacteria when they break down dietary fiber. Therefore, including more dietary fiber in your diet may improve butyric acid production. In addition, supplementing with high-quality probiotics may also increase the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Prebiotic foods contain resistant starches that your body can't break down but relies on bacteria to break down. Foods that are high in resistant starches are the best foods to consume for increasing natural butyric acid production. Some of the best prebiotic foods include:
artichokes
garlic
onions
potatoes
bananas
apples
apricots
carrots
asparagus
oat bran
Arabinogalactan is another highly beneficial prebiotic that comes from the larch tree and can help to increase natural butyric acid production.
While there are some butyric acid foods, supplementing with butyric acid can provide more amounts of butyric acid than those found in food, allowing you to receive more of the benefits of this beneficial fatty acid.
Are There Side Effects of Taking Butyric Acid?
There is no research suggesting any side effects to supplementing with butyric acid or eating butyric acid foods. However, avoid supplementing with butyric acid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always consult a licensed doctor before taking dietary supplements, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov//
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/leaky-gut-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-you-
https://scholar.harvard.edu/pushpanathan/publications/leaky-gut-syndrome-mystery-illness-triggered-candida-albicans
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov//
In the early s Michel-Eugène Chevreul, a French organic chemist, first discovered butyric acid in its impure form while acidifying animal fat soaps. (Source)
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is a four-carbon short-chain fatty acid that is found in a number of foods and is also produced in our bodies. Its name comes from the ancient Greek word for butter.
Known as the 'stinky fat,' butyric acid boasts an aromatic odor (to put it kindly) that has been described as both rancid butter and stale cheddar. It's also responsible for the familiar lactic acid flavor that we often associate with fresh, homemade bread, butter, and yogurt.
Although butyric acid is naturally occurring in different types of dairy products, it's found in even greater amounts in the digestive tracts of humans and other mammals. The organic compound is produced when complex sugars are broken down during the process of fermentation. Its main function is to provide energy to cells of the colon, but it also supports the immune system with its powerful anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
In today's edition, we're exploring butyric acid, AKA the pungent, rancid odor that you might recognize from that time your butter went bad ' and also a powerful healing nutrient in our bodies.
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is a short-chain, saturated fatty acid (SCFA) that is found in plant oils and animal fats, especially products such as butter, ghee, and raw milk. It's also produced when carbohydrates like fiber are fermented by bacteria in the colon.
Butyric acid is the preferred fuel of your enterocytes, the cells that line the intestines. In other words, it's what your gut cells prefer to burn for energy. Estimates suggest that the compound provides your colon cells with about 70% of their energy needs. (Source)
Note: Although the terms 'butyric acid' and 'butyrate' are commonly used interchangeably even in the literature, scientifically speaking, the two compounds have slightly different structures (butyrate has one less proton than butyric acid). However, research appears to show that they have identical health benefits.
Butyric acid can also help support your immune function and keep your gut barrier healthy. It's known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties and to play a role in gut barrier function, immune system regulation, and metabolic regulation. (Source) That's why the compound has gained attention for its potential role in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and colorectal cancer. On the flip side, decreased butyrate concentrations and numbers of butyrate-producing bacteria have been linked with disorders, ranging from dysbiosis to strokes and even metabolic conditions. (Source, Source, Source, Source)
A diet high in fiber has long been considered a cornerstone of gut health, and now science is backing that up. Fiber promotes healthy intestinal flora and helps maintain healthy gut barrier function. It can also help reduce inflammation and insulin resistance, and may help reduce your risk of developing certain diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
As dietary fiber is fermented by bacteria in the gut, butyric acid is formed. Research suggests butyric acid in the gut helps kill colon cancer cells, making a high-fiber diet an important cancer prevention tool. (Source) Beyond that, butyrate can affect our brains by acting via the gut'brain axis. Through its ability to cross the blood'brain barrier, butyrate can activate the vagus nerve and hypothalamus, indirectly affecting appetite. (Source)
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, butyrate can help control inflammation and modulate the immune response. In addition, butyric acid helps regulate the production and development of regulatory T cells in the colon, which are responsible for helping your body distinguish between itself and foreign invaders. Without the ability to tell self from nonself, the immune system may begin to attack your own tissues and organs, resulting in an autoimmune condition. (Source)
Related to immune function, butyrate also helps maintain healthy gut barrier function and prevent the incidence of leaky gut. (Source) Emerging evidence suggests there may be a link between butyrate and autoimmunity in humans as well. For example, people with type 1 diabetes ' an autoimmune condition that affects the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin ' have been found to have lower levels of butyrate-producing bacteria in their gut than those without diabetes. (Source)
Studies have revealed that butyric acid has a profound effect on the brain, ranging from memory and cognition issues to neurodegenerative diseases. In rat studies, butyrate stimulated the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule that supports the growth and differentiation of healthy neurons in the brain. (Source) And in studies looking at animal models of Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease, butyric acid has been shown to protect brain neurons from cell death and to extend the lifespan of mice with Huntington's. (Source, Source)
Numerous studies have reported that butyrate metabolism is impaired in patients with IBD. (Source) Butyric acid has been shown to decrease colitis-associated intestinal inflammation and colon cancer in both animal and human models. In a small study looking at the effects of butyrate on Crohn's disease, 69% of patients saw clinical improvements after treatment, with 53% of participants achieving remission. (Source)
Emerging evidence suggests that butyric acid may be a potential treatment option for IBS as well. (Source)
In one double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 66 adult patients with IBS took either a placebo or 300 milligrams of sodium butyrate (the sodium salt of butyric acid) per day, in addition to receiving standard therapy. Just four weeks into the 3-month study, researchers found that subjects who took the butyric acid had a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of abdominal pain during bowel movements. (Source)
One of the more controversial potential applications of butyric acid is its ability to impact insulin sensitivity and obesity. In many studies, butyrate has been shown to significantly improve insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance in people with metabolic syndrome. (Source) Researchers believe that this may be a result of the compound's ability to increase GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and PYY (peptide YY), hormones that help your body to control food intake and increase fat burning (Source, Source, Source).
However, although a large body of evidence has suggested that butyrate may attenuate obesity and insulin resistance, a few studies have shown the opposite effect. Therefore, more research is needed to understand the effects of butyrate on obesity.