A gastroenterologist with the University of Washington School of Medicine studies the way that what you eat affects the gut microbiome and thereby your overall health. Dr. Chris Damman studies how nourishing gut bacteria can improve overall health by increasing levels of short chain fatty acids. Higher levels of short chain fatty acids like butyrate have been connected to less severe symptoms from chronic conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and more.
How is Butyrate Formed?
Butyrate is formed when bacteria feed on fiber in the gut. This short chain fatty acid is a molecule that helps improve the health of the cells that form the lining of the colon. It also helps prevent “leaky gut” – where bacteria cross into the blood and cause inflammation throughout the body.
Anaerobic microbial communities, mostly in the large intestine, produce the short chain fatty acids acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These are end products of their fermentation process of undigested fiber. In humans, these short chain fatty acids are mainly important for how they affect the health of the colon. Colitis and colonic cancer have both been shown to be reduced with an increased presence of butyrate in the colon.
The colonic mucosa takes up acetate, propionate, and butyrate however seems to preferentially transport butyrate. It is the preferred energy source for colonocytes and it is thought that, since butyrate is responsible for 70% of their energy, a lack of butyrate is considered a causative factor in the development of colitis.
Because of the direct way that undigested fiber leads to increased butyrate levels, many proposed treatments for chronic conditions that can be related to butyrate production involve increasing fiber intake. It has been demonstrated that resistant starch is more effective than non-starch polysaccharides in dietary fiber at reducing the risk of colon cancer.
New Research
New research continues to study the effects of butyrate on chronic conditions and the best ways to increase levels of it when it is diminished. Many people who study chronic conditions related to butyrate levels believe that Western diets help contribute to an inadequate production of butyrate. Because of that, numerous supplements exist to help improve gut health.
Dr. Damman, the researcher mentioned earlier, believes the best way to improve butyrate levels is to eat foods that feed your gut bacteria to naturally produce more short chain fatty acids. These are foods that are high in fiber like oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat, beans, lentils, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. A recent placebo-controlled clinical trial he conducted looked at the effects of a prebiotic fiber meal-replacement shake in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Initial results show that the use of the shake can work as well as some oral diabetes medications with fewer side effects.
One study by a Ph.D. student at the University of Nebraska examined how different varieties of popcorn affect the production of butyrate. She found that new popcorn varieties (in particular a type called quality protein popcorn) helped produce significantly more butyrate and other short chain fatty acids than typical popcorn that is available now. This research highlighted the ways in which food processors, microbiologists, and physicians are collaborating with corn breeders to find solutions to both economic and health problems.
Butyrate has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous chronic conditions as well as in overall health in individuals without a condition. For example, butyrate has been implicated in the promotion of sleep-inducing signals. When the intestinal microbiota is depleted, there is a corresponding reduction in sleep. Recent research has shown that supplementation with butyrate may increase non-rapid-eye movement sleep (NREMS) leading to improved sleep and better quality of life.
Supplementation with Butyrate
Supplementation with butyrate is not a widespread practice yet. In most cases where increased butyrate levels are desired, the primary method of increasing levels is the dietary increase in undigestable fiber from whole wheat, vegetables, nuts, and other high-fiber foods. However some doctors are also prescribing butyrate in the form of an enema or suppository to directly increase levels of this essential short chain fatty acid. The enemas and suppositories can be made by a compounding pharmacy with a prescription. If you would like more information about compounding short chain fatty acids, please reach out to our pharmacy here.
Articles
Butyrate in microbiome abates a host of ills, studies find – UW Medicine Newsroom
Study to Assess Safety and Effect of a Prebiotic Fiber Meal Replacement Shake in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes – ClinicalTrials.gov
Popcorn’s Effects on Gut Microbiomes – Southeast AgNet
The microbiology of butyrate formation in the human colon – FEMS Microbiology Letters