Can butyrate be used orally to treat any conditions? Is the way butyrate is absorbed in the gut when taken orally a deterrent to its therapeutic use? Our compounding pharmacy makes sodium butyrate and short-chain fatty acid enemas and suppositories. We do not make the oral forms, as they are widely available over the counter as supplements. Some recent research suggests that taking butyrate orally may help certain conditions. Is the research significant enough to warrant it being prescribed for conditions like childhood obesity?
What is Butyrate?
Butyrate is produced when dietary fiber is broken down by bacteria in your gut. It is a byproduct of fermentation that plays a significant role in maintaining colonic health. In fact, butyrate provides up to 70% of the total energy requirements of colonic cells. During the digestive process, fiber is not broken down. Bacteria instead break it down in a fermentation process.
Certain foods are more likely to increase butyrate than others because they are high in particular types of fermentable fibers. Fruit, legumes, vegetables, whole grains, and resistant starches (like rice and potatoes) increase butyrate production.
Oral Butyrate and Pediatric Obesity
A recent placebo-controlled clinical trial aimed to discover if butyrate taken orally could be effective. The Butyrate Against Pediatric Obesity (BAPO) trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of oral butyrate in managing obesity in patients aged 5 to 17 years old. In this study, participants were given standard care for obesity with the addition of 20 mg/kg body weight sodium butyrate capsules per day; another group of participants was given a placebo. The maximum dosage for butyrate was 800 mg per day.
At 6 months, a BMI decrease of 0.25 SDS (Standard Deviation Score) or more at 6 months was observed more often in the butyrate group compared to the placebo group. In addition, decreases were seen in waist circumference, insulin level, ghrelin level, and IL-6 level, which were more significant in the butyrate treatment group.
Butyrate for Colonic Health
Oral butyrate is not able to treat conditions affecting the colon when taken orally. The butyrate is absorbed in the gut before it can reach its targeted destination. Therefore, it has little effect on colonic butyrate levels. Instead, it must be administered rectally.
Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are sometimes treated with a rectally administered form of butyrate. Our compounding pharmacy makes both enemas and suppositories containing sodium butyrate. These can be used for treating conditions affecting the colon that are associated with decreased levels of butyrate. Butyrate is part of a subgroup of fatty acids called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which also include acetate and propionate. In other formulations, all three SCFAs can be included in an enema or suppository.
Other Uses for Butyrate
Butyrate continues to be studied for other health conditions. Research has shown that the balance of the gut microbiome is essential for the health of the entire body. Butyrate levels have been associated with oral health, blood vessel conditions, and more. New research should focus on administration methods and dosage forms for butyrate to help increase its efficacy for these conditions.
Articles
Butyrate effective for treating pediatric obesity – Contemporary Pediatrics
Effects of oral butyrate supplementation on inflammatory potential of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells in healthy and obese males – Scientific Reports