Butyrate & SCFAs

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Table of Contents
SCFA Health Benefits
SCFA Producing Food Sources
Can Butyrate Be Supplemented?
Further Reading And References

SCFA Health Benefits

Some of the plant based complex carbohydrates in the foods that we eat cannot be digested by the small intestine and end up in the large intestine where they are broken down by gut microbiota. These microbiota produce enzymes that chop up the long chained chemicals found in complex carbohydrates and ferment them into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate and propionate. These SCFAs are very healthful. For example, butyrate:

provides directly accessible energy source for the cells lining our intestines
aids mucus formation, which coats intestinal cells, protecting them from pathogens and provides habitat and feed source for beneficial bacteria
optimally reduces the permeability of the gut barrier by packing cells tightly together
controls proliferation of cells in the intestine, including inducing the death of cancerous cells
possess anti-carcinogenic properties
reduce intestinal PH making the gut more acidic, subsequently decreasing the amount of bad bacteria and pathogens in the gut, which can cause IBS symptoms, since it creates a less favourable environment for them
have powerful anti-inflammatory effects on the body
anti-inflammatory effects can reduce hypersensitivity on intestinal receptors, as is the case with IBS

(1) (2) (5) (7)

SCFA Producing Food Sources

Below is a summary of the proportions of SCFA produced with different forms of carbohydrates (adapted from Smith et al. 1998):

	Proportion of SCFA energy (kJ) produced
Carbohydrate	Butyric Acid	Propionic Acid	Acetic Acid
Cellulose	0.33	0.24	0.43
Gum arabic	0.17	0.28	0.56
Lactulose*¹	0.36	0.16	0.48
Oat bran	0.38	0.24	0.38
Pectic substances*²	0.32	0.17	0.51
Resistant starch	0.55	0.21	0.24
Wheatbran	0.34	0.23	0.42
Xylan	0.06	0.23	0.71

Source: Bourassa MW et al. (2017) (3), adapted from Smith et al. 1998 (8)

(3)

*¹Lactulose may not be suitable for IBS sufferers, since it can produce a substantial amount of gas and pain.

*²Pectin substances relate to pectin containing foods. The below tables show the pectin content of different types of food (6):

Pectin Food Source	Pectin Content (gram/ 100 gram edible weight)
Cornflakes	2.5
Carrot	0.8
Peach	0.7
Peas	0.6
Apple	0.5
Beans	0.4
Potato	0.3

Source: Biplab Das, MSc. (2023) from Hallowoy et al. (1983) (6)

Fruit	Pectin Content (grams/100 grams fresh weight)
Apple	0.5 – 1.6
Banana	0.7 – 1.2
Carrot	0.2-0.5
Gauva	0.77 – 0.99
Lemon pulp	2.5 – 4.0
Mango	0.26 – 0.42
Orange peel	3.5 – 5.5
Papaya	0.66 – 1.0
Passion fruit	0.5
Passion fruit rind	2.1 – 3.0
Peach	0.1 – 0.9
Pineapple	0.04 – 0.13
Strawberries	0.6 – 0.7
Tomato	0.2 – 0.6

Source: Biplab Das, MSc. from Thakur, et. al., 1997 (6)

In a study, ulcerative colitis patients were given 60g oat bran in the form of bread slices daily. After 4 weeks, faecal butyrate increased by 36% without an increase in gastrointestinal complaints during the trial. Those patients who were reporting abdominal pain and reflux at the start of the trial showed significant improvement at 12 weeks. (4)

Note: The Monash FODMAP app says that 2 tablespoons of oat bran are low FODMAP. 5 tablespoons or 55g contain high amounts of fructans and GOS. However, whether an IBS sufferer can tolerate oat bran, depends on their tolerance to these FODMAPs and fibre, in addition to whether bad bugs are under control with a good probiotic to promote FODMAP tolerance. It is always best to work up any doses very slowly, making small increases in quantity every 3 days or so, perhaps starting with 1/3 of the target portion size.

Interestingly, tryptophan which is found in lean chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, oatmeal, nuts and seeds has butyrate-like properties, regulating inflammation and the gut barrier. (7)

Can Butyrate Be Supplemented?

Tributyrin is a dietary supplement which is composed of three butyrate molecules and a glycerol (9). It is found naturally in butter and is broken down by gut bacteria to produce butyrate (10). In mice, tributyrin helped to overcome gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by antibiotics, increased SCFAs, suppressed inflammation and improved antibiotic-induced intestinal damage (11). However, there is little in the way of direct studies of the effects of butyrate on intestinal healing on humans (12). There is one study administering the tributyrin supplement called ButyraGen^® on humans. The research found no significant shifts in gut microbiota composition, including those related to butyrate production, though this may be explained by the supplement being broken down in the small intestine. The study did not look into whether there were any effects on a compromised intestinal barrier, since the supplement was given to healthy individuals. These individuals also had normal inflammation levels. The supplement achieved marginally significant lowering of inflammation markers. (13) There isn’t enough research to know whether butyrate supplementation is safe for humans and at what levels (14). This means that it might be better to try to increase butyrate production through diet until more is known about supplemental butyrate.

SCFA Health Benefits

SCFA Producing Food Sources

Can Butyrate Be Supplemented?

Further Reading And References

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