7 Benefits of Butyrate on the Microbiome

How a Naturally Occurring Acid Can Do Great Things For Your Gut (And Your Overall Health)

Your body is host to an entire ecosystem of microorganisms that keep everything running smoothly. This collection of microorganisms is called the microbiome, and one of its most valuable residents is called butyrate. When your body has strong numbers of butyrate, you’ll see all sorts of benefits that ripple across digestive, mental, circulatory, and other health systems.

In this article, we’ll define what butyrate is, explain how it affects your health, and reveal the benefits that occur when your body is flush with butyrate.

So What Exactly is Butyrate?

Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid made by your gut. It’s a postbiotic, which means it’s a byproduct of microbes during fermentation. When your body breaks down (or “ferments”) dietary fiber, it produces butyrate. Our body cannot fully digest dietary fibers, but it can break them down, and butyrate is a result of this breaking down process.

Butyrate is produced by your body, but it can also be consumed via supplements and products like butter and cheese. Ethyl butyrate is commonly used as an artificial flavoring in orange juice and alcoholic beverages, and sodium butyrate is what you’ll find in butyrate supplements, which we’ll get into later.

Fun fact: Butyrate is derived from the Latin word butyrum, which is the root word of butter! (Butter has a lot of butyrate).

What Does Butyrate Do?

Butyrate is the main energy source for colonocytes, which are cells that line the colon. These colonocytes help your gut produce a healthy ecosystem of microbes, thus creating a stable microbiome in your body. The intestinal microbiome is a careful balance of different microorganisms like viruses, fungi, and bacteria, and if the colonocytes didn’t have their butyrate fuel, the balance would be disrupted.

As a result of the colonocytes being well fed, food moves more easily through your digestive system. This keeps a healthy level of blood flow and can improve colon health.

A healthier gut and digestive system has a ripple effect throughout the entire body, improving and regulating functions like mental clarity and blood sugar levels.