Imagine if there was one powerful molecule, produced in your gut, that could strengthen your immunity, lower inflammation, and support brain health. Well, there is. Meet butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that has a starring role in the impact of your gut microbiome on your overall health and wellbeing.
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Introduction
The human body is undoubtedly complex, especially when you begin to delve into the genius of its ability to not only come to be, but to continue to exist, and it is not just by chance. Instead, it’s through a series of what could be viewed as divine majestic factors.
One of these factors is the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)1, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Produced when specific gut bacteria ferment fiber, butyrate is the main source of fuel for the cells lining your gut, helping to maintain the integrity of your gut barrier, and regulating your immune responses. Low butyrate levels have been linked to the development of gut issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as metabolic and neurological conditions.
However, the good news is that you can naturally boost your butyrate levels through simple dietary and lifestyle changes. In this article, we will explore 9 ways to increase your gut's production of butyrate.
What is butyrate?
Butyrate, also known as butyric acid, is one of the main SCFAs produced by certain gut bacteria when they ferment dietary fiber, particularly prebiotics and resistant starch. It has several roles, but perhaps the most important is its ability to supply up to 70%2 of the energy required by your colonic cells. This helps to maintain a strong gut barrier, preventing a ‘leaky gut’, and protecting you from pathogens, toxins, and disease.
Figure. Short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, secondary bile acids, and other metabolites, are synthesised in the large intestine to support your physiological functions and provide health benefits. Source: Recharla et al.
Its other roles include:
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reducing inflammation, by inhibiting pro-inflammatory pathways 3
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regulation of gene expression 4, this is the coding, or information, genes require to perform their essential life-sustaining tasks,
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maintaining the immune system
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supporting your brain and metabolic health, as emerging research suggests that butyrate can improve insulin sensitivity5
9 ways to naturally increase butyrate
The main process for our bodies to produce butyrate is via the fermentation of dietary fiber. The body can also produce butyrate via other processes, such as the oxidation of fatty acids and the metabolism of glucose. Ultimately, this means that you can boost butyrate levels by making some small, yet significant, changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Here are 9 ways you can increase your butyrate levels:
1. Feed the right gut bacteria
Your gut microbiome is home to trillions of microbes, but not all of them can produce butyrate. Of course, there are processes like cross-feeding, where some species produce metabolites that feed butyrate producers. However, an efficient way to increase butyrate production is by targeting the butyrate-producing strains themselves. These include:
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Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
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Roseburia intestinalis
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Eubacterium rectale
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Clostridium butyricum6
These beneficial microbes can be supported by:
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Eat a varied, fiber-rich diet – Like you and I, your gut microbes like to eat a variety of different types of food, especially fiber, and not all fiber is the same. By eating a diet that includes a range of plant foods, like legumes, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, you’ll be helping to diversify your gut microbiota to support your butyrate-producers to increase their manufacture of this vital SCFA.
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Use targeted prebiotics or synbiotics – Prebiotics, such as inulin, galactooligosaccharides (GOS), fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), like those found in our Constipiotic product, provide essential nourishment to various bacterial strains, thereby increasing diversity.
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Avoid unnecessary antibiotics – Although a great medical breakthrough, taking antibiotics unnecessarily can deplete and wipe out the good bacteria in your gut, including butyrate producers, making you more susceptible to infections such as Clostridioides difficile7.
That’s why feeding butyrate producers is the first step. By cultivating the right microbial community, you’re effectively building your microbiome with butyrate production in mind.
2. Eat more resistant starch
Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that literally resists digestion in the small intestine, and instead, it’s fermented in the large intestine predominantly by Ruminococcus bromii and Bifidobacterium adolescentis8. It acts like a prebiotic – a source of nourishment for your gut microbiota.
Good sources of resistant starch include:
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Cooked and cooled potatoes, rice, and pasta
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Legumes like beans, peas, and lentils
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Whole grains such as barley or oats, especially when they are soaked overnight
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Green bananas
Further research also indicates that resistant starch can facilitate weight loss by increasing the abundance of B. adolescentis.
3. Increase your fiber intake
Increasing your overall fibre intake will also increase the intake of soluble or prebiotic fibre, which is essential for gut bacteria to ferment, transforming fibre into SCFAs.
Prebiotic fibers like inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) selectively feed beneficial bacteria known to support butyrate production.
Try to identify food products that contain greater amounts of soluble fibre; those containing pectins, found in fruit and vegetables 9. High prebiotic foods include:
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Chicory root
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Jerusalem artichokes
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Garlic
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Onions
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Leeks
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Legumes
4. Add polyphenol-rich foods to your diet
Polyphenols are natural plant compounds with antioxidant properties, and most also exhibit prebiotic-like effects by stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria, including butyrate producers such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Polyphenols will influence the composition and activity of the gut microbiota in ways that will increase butyrate production10.
5. Include fermented foods
Fermented foods contain live bacteria or probiotics that can enhance the diversity of your gut microbiome. The more diverse your microbiome is, the healthier it will be, and the more butyrate it will produce.
You can build on the abundance of beneficial bacteria11 and increase the production of butyrate by including the following fermented foods in your diet:
6. Improve your lifestyle
Although diet is the most direct way to increase butyrate, your daily activities and habits can also play a vital role in shaping the gut microbiome and supporting SCFA production.
Some of the key lifestyle habits that can boost butyrate are:
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Regular exercise – Physical activity enriches the microbial diversity in your gut and increases the number of butyrate-producing bacteria. Even moderate exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling a few times a week, can make a significant difference.
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Manage stress – Chronic stress can disrupt the gut-brain axis and negatively impact your microbiome. Activities such as meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, or spending time in nature can help support a more resilient gut environment.
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Prioritise sleep – Poor sleep patterns have been associated with microbial imbalances and reduced SCFA production. Ideally, you should aim for 7 to 9 hours of high-quality sleep per night.
Other lifestyle factors that can help include reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding recreational drugs12.
7. Avoid ultra-processed foods
Diets that heavily rely on ultra-processed foods, such as packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and ready meals, can lead to a less diverse gut microbiome and promote inflammation.
Most ultra-processed foods are low in fermentable fiber and rich in additives that can negatively impact gut health. So, processed foods can harm them and reduce the abundance of probiotics, even sending your gut into a state of dysbiosis, where the balanced gut bacteria becomes imbalanced.13.
8. Try butyrate-boosting supplements
Diet should be your first consideration when trying to bolster your colonic ecosystem and increase butyrate production, but certain supplements can also provide assistance. Here are some popular examples:
|
Name |
Active ingredient (s) |
How it works |
Additional info |
|
Tributyrin |
Tributyrin consists of glycerol and 3 butyrate molecules |
A prodrug of butyrate that is converted into butyrate when it reaches the colon. |
|
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Sodium butyrate |
A salt of butyric acid |
A direct butyrate source which is absorbed in the small intestine. |
|
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Prebiotic blends |
Can include:
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Feeds health-promoting gut bacteria, which ferment these fibers to naturally produce butyrate. |
|
9. Consider targeted prebiotic fibers like HMOs
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a type of prebiotic that are naturally present in human breast milk. While they are indigestible, HMOs serve as food for beneficial bacteria, particularly Bifidobacteria.
Although Bifidobacteria do not produce butyrate directly, they do produce other SCFAs, like acetate and lactate, and other metabolites that can be used by other bacteria, such as F. prausnitzii – this process is called cross-feeding.
By selectively nourishing the right microbes, HMOs help create a gut environment that indirectly boosts butyrate production.
Summary
It’s possible that before you read this article, butyrate was one of the most powerful molecules you’ve never heard of. And that’s okay, but now you know that you can boost it by feeding the trillions of microbes living inside your colon. By making simple, consistent changes to your diet and incorporating prebiotics, such as HMOs, you can naturally increase your butyrate levels and support your overall gut health and immunity.
Ready to take the next step? Discover our PureHMO range to provide your beneficial bacteria with the essential fuel they need to thrive.
Written by: Leanne Edermaniger MSc.
