The gut microbiome has a major impact on human health. The gut carries out many essential functions for life, but today, we’re going to focus on one essential function. That essential function is in producing metabolites called short-chain fatty acids, specifically the 4-carbon chain fatty acid named butyrate. This 4-carbon chain fatty acid that is produced by our gut microbes, apart from a myriad of other functions, helps strengthens the gut barrier and promotes a healthy gut immune system.*
Rejuvenating the gut to a state of homeostasis is a foundational and critical component to health and longevity. Most of us have likely endured a period in our life where our gut health has been less than optimal and we see this every day with our patients. You have probably tried dozens of different gut supportive supplements and diets in the hope of finding a gut healing panacea. Butyrate may not be a panacea, but butyrate is the one of the most important tools we have in our arsenal to promote gut health.*
Butyrate is produced by microbial fermentation of fiber in the large intestine. When you consume fiber, the microbes in your gut ferment the insoluble fiber and resistant starch and convert it into three short chain fatty acids called butyrate, acetate, and propionate. Today, we are going to focus on butyrate. Remember, fiber plus gut microbial fermentation equals butyrate.
Butyrate acts as a cellular mediator regulating multiple functions of gut cell functioning, including gene expression, cell differentiation, gut tissue development, immune modulation, oxidative stress reduction, intestinal barrier enhancement by regulating the assembly of tight junctions between each gut cell (tight junctions are continuous intercellular barriers between your large bowel epithelial cells, which are required to separate tissue spaces and regulate selective movement of nutrients and fluids across the epithelium while keeping out larger undigested food particles and gut bacterial contents), and regulating GI motility.* Long story short, our guts need butyrate in a big way!
As you can see, butyrate plays many important roles in our body, but one of the major benefits of butyrate is that it serves as the primary nutrient and energy source for the cells lining the colon, called the colonocytes. Without butyrate, these cells simply wouldn’t survive and the intestinal environment within which gut microbes thrive, wouldn’t exist. When colonocytes are functioning effectively, they keep the gut free of oxygen, providing the perfect environment for your anaerobic gut microbes.
So, what does this mean for your patient’s health? Well, the good news is we can supplement with this powerful healing biological substrate and support healthy butyrate levels with supplementation. Do you want more good news? Because butyrate is produced when your gut microbes transform the dietary fiber and resistant starch you eat into these beneficial compounds, your fiber and resistant starch rich diet could be one of the essential keys to supporting overall health and wellness!