Butyrate: an amazing gut & whole body health promoter!

by Amy Castle

Did you know how to boost your bodies Butyrate production?

Butyrate is a beneficial short chain fatty acid produced by specific gut bacteria in the large intestinal environment with a myriad of health benefits.

The beneficial effects of butyrate have been well researched but may not yet be common knowledge. Butyrate is crucial in helping to maintain the gut lining, modulating gut mediated immunity, supporting metabolic and brain health while assisting in reduction of local and systemic inflammation.

The best ways to improve butyrate production are diet and lifestyle based as it is not readily available in supplemental form. Here are some simple
strategies to help:

  • Eat a diet high in plant food and fibre diversity. Aim to consume 40+ different plant foods per week including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
  • Consume resistant starch to feed butyrate producing bacteria: cooked & cooled potatoes, cooked and cooled rice, cooked and cooled legumes, cooked and cooled quinoa, overnight oats, green bananas and green banana flour are all packed with resistant starch.
  • Lifestyle factors such as moderate exercise and regular meditation may also support butyrate producing microbes.

Factors that may reduce butyrate production include:

  • Regular antibiotic use – as antibiotics may affect levels of key species responsible for butyrate production.
  • Low carb/high fat diets.
  • Long term low FODMAP diets may reduce levels of key butyrate producing species. eg Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. The aim with a low FODMAP diet should always be to work towards re introducing as many foods as possible after a trial of avoidance/reduction. Sometimes this may take some extra support from a Naturopath to help to support the gut environment to improve tolerance of a wider variety of foods.
  • Excessive alcohol and chronic stress.

Want to know more? This is Naturopath Amy’s passion.

For further information or to book a consultation with Amy online today contact the clinic on 03 5977 0117.

 

plant foods

 

This article is intended to be informational only and represents the opinion of the author. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and does not take the place of advice from a qualified health care practitioner in a clinical setting. Please check with your healthcare practitioner before embarking upon any of the treatments discussed.