Butyrate has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, particularly in colon cancer. It kills colon cancer cells, stops metastasis, and shrinks tumors. As the primary metabolic fuel of the colon, butyrate has been found to reduce colon cancer tumors by over 80%. It also improves survival rates, histology, and gut function in individuals with colon cancer by promoting a healthy bacterial composition and reducing inflammation. Notably, people with colon cancer tend to have lower levels of butyrate in their gut.
Butyrate is highly effective for IBS. At 300 mg a day after 12 weeks, sodium butyrate improved:
Abdominal pain
Urge sensation
Stool consistency
Constipation It is the single most important metabolite in the colon, regulating nearly every function of gut health.Another study showed in IBS patients showed that butyrate improved:
Abdominal pain
Flatulence
Diarrhea
Constipation
Urgent pressure for stool
Nausea
Vomiting
QUALITY OF LIFE So, essentially every symptom you can think of.
Butyrate induces remission in Crohn's disease. 4g for 4 weeks:
Nearly reversed visible pathology in the colon
Reduced markers of inflammation by improving gut bioenergetics Butyrate has profound inflammation reducing properties that make it incredible for IBDs.
Butyrate therapeutic for Ulcerative Colitis, improves sleep. 600 mg per day, improvements in:
ALL symptoms
ALL markers of inflammation
Sleep quality Butyrate regulates the circadian rhythm by increasing circadian clock genes expression, huge for digestion. The circadian rhythm is critical for gut health, as it reduces:
Pathogenic bacteria
Intestinal permeability
Inflammation
Gut inflammation is driven by poor gut metabolism, but supplementing back butyrate & glutamine have shown a ton of benefit.
Butyrate reduces diverticulitis / diverticulosis. At 300 mg per day, it was shown to reduce these serious conditions. Butyrate supports the structure of the gut by increasing:
Tight junction proteins
Mucus production
Cell migration
Stem cell differentiation
Butyrate prevents food allergies. Animals given butyrate were protected from peanut allergies, as they had:
Less anaphylaxis
Lower IgE
More “tolerant” / anti-inflammatory immune cells
Reduced mast cell degranulation Allergies begin in the gut - butyrate can help.
Butyrate improves gut motility.Oral butyrate supplementation was shown to increase the proportion of neurons in the gut that produce acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is the primary regulator of gut motility, and low gut acetylcholine can lead to diarrhea or constipation.
Butyrate improves gut bacterial balance. (!)Butyrate is a metabolite of “good” bacteria, but it also stabilizes the gut environment to where more butyrate producing microbes proliferate. Thus, it is the inverse of dependency - it should set your gut up for a healthier future.
How butyrate improves gut health:
Energy: butyrate is the primary source of fuel for the cells lining the large intestine.
Anti-inflammatory: short chain fatty acids like butyrate have multiple ways of calming inflammation, especially in the gut. It inhibits the nuclear translocation of the master inflammatory gene regulator, NF-κB. It halts the primary white blood cells, neutrophils, from being overactive. It also decreases mast cell degranulation, which stops a rise in histamine, serotonin, among other inflammatory mediators commonly elevated in gut inflammation.
Mucus: the gut mucus layer is absolutely vital. It acts as a protective layer to prevent pathogens and food residue from coming into contact with the cells of the colon, which causes inflammation. This mucus layer becomes depleted with gut symptoms, especially in things like inflammatory bowel disease. Butyrate fuels the secretion of mucus.
Antimicrobial peptides: it increases the production of “good” bacteria which helps to eliminate pathogens. In this way it acts like a pre or probiotic. Additionally, it supports the production of antimicrobial peptides, our body’s own antibiotics.
Motility: butyrate supports motility. Impaired motility underlies just about everything that goes wrong digestive wise. People with IBS have impaired motility and higher fecal loads.
Source: https://x.com/Outdoctrination/status/1839672243351380463
