A Biohacking Tip for Butyrate

Gut health is definitely one of my passions, so let's dive into one of the most powerful gut-protecting compounds: butyrate.

Many people know about butyrate & have a general understanding of it's effects on the gut. But, I want to dive deeper.

1. Butyrate is a SCFA produced as a result of the microbial fermentation of some indigestible carbohydrates (within your gut).

2. Therefore, butyrate is considered to be a postbiotic since it is produced by these probiotic microbes.

3. Butyrate then makes its way from the gut lumen (within the gut) to the gut lining (composed of a single layer of epithelial cells).

4. These epithelial cells that line the gut use butyrate as a preferred energy source. So... instead of using glucose for energy, these cells oxidize butyrate through mitochondrial beta-oxidation in order to yield ATP. (Less butyrate = less energy available to sustain a healthy gut lining).

5. The cells that line your gut need energy in order to secrete important gut hormones, antimicrobial peptides (these help to keep your gut microbiome in check by killing off pathogenic microbes such as candida, for example), & more.

6. Some of these epithelial cells also have receptors that signal the production of certain gut hormones such as GLP-1, PYY, or 5-HT (serotonin), for example, when butyrate interacts with the receptor site. (Less butyrate = suboptimal hormone signaling)

When it comes to increasing butyrate levels, the basics are always important to address first:

1. Focus on getting rid of potential gut pathogens that are increasing inflammation & disrupting your probiotics' production of butyrate.

2. Focus on polyphenols & dietary diversity in order to feed the beneficial gut microbes so they can produce butyrate.

However, here is a Biohack Tip when it comes to supplementation: Some foods (ghee, for example) contain tributyrin which is a naturally-occurring triglyceride that is a precursor to butyrate. Some individuals claim that tributyrin supplies a slower release of active butyrate into one's cells as opposed to pure butyrate supplements. This slower release is claimed to have more favorable effects & thus forms an argument for consuming whole foods rather than always turning to supplements.