What is Butyrate and What Are Its Health Benefits? - Pendulum

To learn more about butyrate, watch Pendulum CSO John Eid's conversation about butyrate on the Dr. Gundry podcast.

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Butyrate is an important short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that appears to be intimately tied to health. 

Despite its importance, however, many people may not be getting enough of this essential postbiotic. 

Humans can't make butyrate on their own. Instead, we get butyrate from our food and from a series of reactions that take place in the gut microbiome.

These "reactions" are what convert dietary fibers into a bounty of butyrate.  

The loss of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut microbiome can have far-reaching effects in the human body. 

If you are looking to increase the levels of butyrate-producing bacteria in your gut, learn more about Glucose Control, which contains 3 probiotic strains that have been shown to product high levels of butyrate. Those strains are Clostrdium butyricum, Anaerobutyricum hallii, and Clostridium beijerincki. 

What is butyrate and how is it made?

The name "Butyrate" comes from the ancient Greek word for butter.

That's because the Greeks noticed that as butter or milk goes rancid, it takes on a potent smell, which is partly due to the production of butyrate in the dairy.  

Butyrate is produced in the large intestine as a byproduct of soluble-fiber metabolism. Butyrate is often made in the process of breaking down large, complex, and resilient molecules such as fibers and resistant starches.

Humans rely almost entirely on bacteria to produce their butyrate, and it takes a lot of effort to break up these molecules—and human cells just aren’t good at it. 

When you eat foods that are rich with these molecules (e.g. green bananas, cold potatoes, or oats), your cells struggle to break them down. As a result, the fibers and resistant starches tend to survive the digestive process.

That is until they reach the gut microbiome—more specifically the large intestine.

Many bacterial species can use fibers and resistant starches as sources of energy. These bacteria absorb the fiber and resistant-starch molecules and then begin to digest them—ripping them apart and extracting the parts of these molecules that they find useful. 

In the process, butyrate is formed.

This butyrate is discarded back into the gut where human cells can then absorb it and put it to use. 

Like other SCFAs, butyrate serves multiple purposes within the body: 

• It often serves as an energy source for cells when sugar isn’t available (it's one of the primary sources of energy for the cells that line the colon—also known as colonocytes)

• Sometimes it’s used as a building block to help cells construct larger molecules

• Other times it functions as a basic signaling molecule, able to change a cell’s behavior in dramatic ways (more on this below) 

What are the health benefits of butyrate? 

Dr. Emeran Mayer, a gastroenterologist, neuroscientist, and distinguished research professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, calls SCFAs the main currency of the microbial world.

Dr. Mayer says that SCFAs are a major influencer in maintaining proper functioning of the complex system of different cell types that interact with each other.

"Within the gut, butyrate receptors can be found in a wide range of epithelial, endocrine, immune, and nerve cells," says Dr. Mayer. "Because of the ubiquitous expression of these short chain fatty acid receptors on various gut cells, butyrate has a wide range of homeostatic effects on gut function."

One of the great things about butyrate is that once it's released into the gut, it can have both local and global effects on the human body. 

Research into the effects of butyrate covers many diverse topics and is still very much a work in progress. But, here is what we do know: 

Butyrate fuels your gut cells

The body uses sugars, fats, and proteins for energy. Being a fatty acid, butyrate serves as an energy source for some cells. 

This is particularly true for colonocytes—the cells that line the intestinal barrier of the colon—which get 70% of their energy from butyrate.  

Because colonocytes digest it, only about 5% of the butyrate made in the gut actually makes it into circulation. 

When butyrate levels are low, colonocytes show signs of distress due to the lack of their preferred energy source. 

Butyrate helps with managing type 2 diabetes

Butyrate has been well studied for its influence over blood-sugar levels. 

Several studies performed in cells and mice have reported a link between butyrate production and the release of hormones that are known to:

• Suppress the appetite

• Promote the breakdown of fats

• Increase sensitivity to insulin

The exact mechanism of how butyrate is linked to these hormones isn’t clear. However, it likely has to do with the regulation of DNA and how or when sections of it are read. 

Regardless of the mechanism, there is strong evidence to suggest that butyrate production helps regulate blood sugar levels.

One study showed that people with type 2 diabetes who were given a high-fiber diet had an increase in butyrate-producing bacteria that correlated with a >20% decrease in A1C levels (compared to a <15% decrease in the control group). 

These results are echoed in numerous other studies showing that increased fiber and butyrate-producing bacteria improve blood-sugar regulation.   

What causes low butyrate levels?

Humans primarily get butyrate from two sources: 

• Food

• Butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut microbiome

Low butyrate levels can happen when there's a decrease in the number of butyrate-producing bacteria in your gut, you decrease the amount of butyrate-containing foods in your diet, or you body is less able to absorb butyrate.

Foods like butter and other dairy products are rich with butyrate. 

Fiber is a major component in the diets of cattle and other farm animals, so they also have a gut microbiome that's capable of converting that fiber into butyrate, which ultimately finds its way into the animals' milk.  

If you don’t eat much dairy, your body will have to look elsewhere for its butyrate.

Like all ecosystems, the gut microbiome is a complex environment where survival of bacterial species depends on their ability to get nutrients and outcompete other bacteria for scarce living space.  

For butyrate-producing bacteria, this means they stand the best chance at survival when their host (the person whose gut they live in) eats fibers and resistant starches. 

When these are lacking from the diet, the butyrate-producing bacteria may not be as competitive and are less likely to thrive. 

As a side effect, lower levels of butyrate are produced. 

Antibiotics can also dramatically shift the landscape of the gut microbiome. 

Aside from targeting the bacteria that may be causing an infection, antibiotics also affect bacteria in the gut microbiome, potentially devastating the population of butyrate-producing bacteria (as well as other species). 

Lastly, some health conditions—like type 2 diabetes—can affect the microbiome composition, which correlates with a decrease in butyrate-producing bacteria.

How to boost your butyrate levels

Fortunately, there are multiple ways to boost your butyrate levels. 

In essence, each approach aims to make sure that:

• You have a balance of butyrate-producing bacteria in your gut

• You’re giving these bacteria the food (i.e., fiber and resistant starches) they need to survive 

What specific bacteria help create butyrate?

Production of butyrate is a collective effort as some bacteria partially break down carbohydrates (like fiber and resistant starches) and release the fractured molecules into the gut where other species can then convert these molecules into butyrate . 

There are many species of bacteria that either contribute to the butyrate making process, or are responsible for the actual production of butyrate. 

Here, we’ve listed some of the most common species responsible for producing butyrate:

• Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

• Eubacterium rectale

• Roseburia spp. (Roseburia faecis, Roseburia inulinivorans, Roseburia intestinalis, and Roseburia hominis)

• Clostridium butyricum

• Clostridium beijerinckii

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• Eubacterium spp. (Eubacterium hallii)

• Anaerostipes spp. (Anaerostipes butyraticus, Anaerostipes caccae, and Anaerostipes hadrus)

• Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum

Additionally, species of bacteria in the Bifidobacterium genus are known to help carry out the first steps in fiber digestion, providing molecules to the gut microbiome that the above species can use to make butyrate.  

Are there supplements/probiotics that can increase your butyrate levels?

Yes.

There are different probiotic-containing supplements that can help you boost the number of butyrate-producing bacteria—so called butyrate-producing probiotics.

Butyricum is a powerful new probiotic packed with a butyrate-producing strain that can help relieve occasional gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

In evaluating butyrate-producing probiotics, it's important to make sure that they have the right bacteria and come with a prebiotic to help those bacteria survive.

Another butyrate-containing probiotic is Glucose Control, which helps deliver several species of butyrate-producing bacteria (e.g. Anaerobutyricum hallii, Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium beijerinckii) as well as inulin to help these bacteria establish a competitive foothold in the microbiome environment. 

In a recent peer-reviewed paper published in the January 8, issue of BMC Microbiology, it was discovered that people with type 2 diabetes who took Glucose Control during a 12-week, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial showed increased levels of butyrate and the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholate (UDCA).

In people with type 2 diabetes who were also taking metformin, boosting butyrate-producing bacterial species is believed to help reduce their A1C and after-meal blood sugar levels. 

This hypothesis is supported by recent findings using Glucose Control. In a double-blinded study, researchers gave patients with type 2 diabetes this probiotic for 12 weeks, measuring their change in blood A1C levels from the beginning of the study to the end. 

What foods can increase your butyrate levels?

There are several foods that can help boost butyrate levels.

As mentioned earlier, dairy products tend to be high in butyrate. 

You can also boost your butyrate levels by eating foods rich in fibers and resistant starches. In general, foods that come from plants tend to have fibers and digestion-resistant starches. As the specific strains mentioned above break down these fibers, it will produce butyrate in the large intestine.

These foods include:

• Inulin

• Guar gum

• Agave

• Bananas

• Onions

• Garlic

• Jerusalem artichoke

• Cooled boiled potatoes

• Cereal bran

• Oats

• Barley

• Wheat

• Rye

• Pears

• Apples

• Guavas

• Plums

• Oranges

What is butyric acid—and is it different that butyrate? 

Butyrate and butyric acid are two forms of the same molecule. 

Butyric acid is butyrate with an extra hydrogen molecule attached to it, which alters how it interacts with other molecules.  

Butyrate can fluctuate between states, existing as butyric acid in one environment and then transitioning to butyrate in another (or vice versa). 

Butyrate is the more common form of the molecule in nature.  

Final Thoughts

After decades of research, it's clear that butyrate is an important molecule that can influence many aspects of health. 

With the right diet and help from probiotics, it's possible to boost your butyrate levels and potentially improve many aspects of your health. 

We have collected 5 of the most relevant and most frequently asked questions for you and will answer them here. Scroll down to read answers to:

1. Who is Perstorp Animal Nutrition?
2. How is ProPhorce™ SR different from other butyric acid products?
3. Is dosing Gastrivix™ Avi at only 250 grams per ton recommendable?
4. Does ProPhorce™ SR 130 survive the heat of pelleting?
5. What is the latest science on the synergy between Butyric and Valeric Acid?

Question 1: Who is Perstorp Animal Nutrition?

We actually receive this question quite a lot and it’s a very relevant one. ‘Who am I?’ is one of life’s big questions that will always be complex to answer. It’s the same for people and companies. Especially one as old as Perstorp, which has been around since ! Even back then acids were important as one of the first products by the company was acetic acid. Over the decades since then Perstorp has made a habit of reinventing itself successfully to blossom into the world-leading specialty chemicals company that it is today, boasting a total of around 1.500 employees all over the world enjoying a rich company culture. 

Since you’re following this channel, one might assume that you have an interest in our animal nutrition team within Perstorp. Animal Nutrition is one of Perstorp’s main segments today and started its business in the s. Similar to the entire Perstorp Group, Perstorp Animal Nutrition has reinvented itself over time. It has grown from supplying organic acids for silage and grain preservation exclusively, to a solution and science driven team that prides itself in being the first to introduce innovative new molecules to the market and package them into holistic solutions that can support gut health, acidify feed or help optimize dEB – to name but a few. Perstorp produces key organic acids such as propionic acid, formic acid, butyric acid and valeric acid. Perstorp Animal Nutrition has researched those molecules and their results in animal nutrition and focused on finding the best ways to apply them. Today that often means combining several esterified organic acids with other compounds for broad functionality and synergetic effects for specific goals, such as growth or facing weaning challenges.

It is our mission to remove the concerns our customers may have about the gut health of their animals. Through the products we create, but also through the advice we can supply from the combined knowledge and decades of experience in our team.

Question 2: How is ProPhorce™ SR different from other butyric acid products?

The presence of butyric acid in the gastrointestinal tract was discovered a long time ago and some of its benefits became clear shortly after. Adding butyric acid products to animal nutrition is far from a new practice. However, two challenges had to be overcome in order to effectively deliver the potential advantages of butyric acid to farm animals.

Firstly, the odor of pure butyric acid had to be managed. Even humans can detect the unpleasant scent at as little as 10 parts per million. Secondly butyric acid does its best work in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Simply adding it to feed means that it will be rapidly absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, often before reaching the intestinal areas where it could potentially support epithelial cells.

Up until around the most common solution tackling both these challenges was to coat with sodium butyrate. The idea is that the coating protects the butyric acid from evaporating (no smell) and it protects it in the stomach until the fat coating is broken down in the GIT for release where it makes a difference. These products have proven effective and are still available today. There is however always a compromise between efficacy of the coating versus the concentration of butyric acid in the product.  More stable coatings often delay release until the large intestine, which may reduce the potential benefits for small intestine health. Products with a low percentage of coating are more likely to release the acid and spread that undesired smell. Products with a high percentage of coating don’t display that drawback, but instead require higher dosage in the feed as the concentration of butyric acid is much lower, taking the place of nutrients or other additives.

In Perstorp had researched the workings of a new butyric acid solution for animal feed and launched ProPhorce™ SR (tributyrins) to the market. This innovative solution is created through an esterification process combining butyric acid with glycerol. The new molecule that is formed contains 3 butyric acid molecules attached to the glycerol backbone. Tributyrins overcome the challenges presented by butyric acid effectively. The product has a high concentration of butyric acid, and is stable until released under the influence of lipase enzymes act on it in the gastrointestinal tract. A breakthrough in animal nutrition!

Fast forward a decade or so and the benefits of tributyrins have not remained unnoticed by the market. However, as with any established technology, quality variations have emerged between different tributyrin products. Today new challenges face the market as not all tributyrins are created equal. Producing consistent, high-quality tributyrins requires specialized knowledge and access to premium raw materials, along with controlled esterification processes.

ProPhorce™ SR products remain a benchmark in their field for product stability, consistency, quality and concentration levels. If you’re in the market for a dry product, the flowability of many dry tributyrin solutions is also something to evaluate your sources on. ProPhorce™ SR 130 leaves many competitor products in the dust (pun intended) in that regard. Lastly there is the real proof.

As ProPhorce™ SR is the original tributyrin solution, the extensive body of research and field trial data accumulated over years of use is unmatched. This provides users with substantial technical support and reference material when making their product selection. When you choose ProPhorce™ SR, you also choose for that unmatched technical background.

Question 3: Is dosing Gastrivix™ Avi at only 250 grams per ton recommendable?

One of the questions we get most often nowadays is about the dosage of one of our most recent innovations: Gastrivix™ Avi and it’s dosing. Customers want to know if dosing at only 250 grams per ton is recommendable?

Gut health remains a key factor in broiler production. When intestinal function is supported, birds may utilize nutrients more effectively, which can contribute to consistent production cycles.

Perstorp was the first to produce and successfully trial the commercial use of esterified valeric acid in animal nutrition. Like butyric acid, valeric acid also occurs naturally in broilers’ gut microbiota, however typical production within the animal are limited. We have applied our well-established esterification technique, successfully used in our ProPhorce™ SR brand, and have adapted it to valeric acid. By combining valeric and butyric acid esters, we’ve developed Gastrivix™ Avi – a blend designed to support intestinal morphology, barrier function, and microbial balance. After five years of research into this synergistic approach, our trials suggest optimal inclusion levels under controlled conditions: 500 g/t in starter and early grower phases, reducing to 250 g/t during finisher phases. These levels were selected based on observed outcomes regarding nutrient utilization and intestinal health markers.

Since we all know optimal conditions are rarely perfect, farm-specific factors like chick quality, housing systems, and health challenges all influence results. We’d love to connect, understand your reality, and create a tailor-made dosing program just for you! All so you can experience the magic of growth you only get with Gastrivix™ Avi!

Question 4: does ProPhorce™ SR 130 survive the heat of pelleting?

ProPhorce™ SR 130 sets itself apart from competition not just by the advanced technology behind it, but also by the superior quality of the raw materials and carrier used. Perstorp controls the entire production process, from the selection of top-tier ingredients to the final product. This integration ensures that the butyric acid, glycerol, and carrier are of the highest quality, leading to a product that excels in flowability, particle size distribution and thermostability. 

The quality of the carrier used for the butyric acid in ProPhorce™ SR 130 plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the product during mixing and feed production. This attention to detail results in a product that is not only effective but also easy to handle and incorporate into various feed formulations. 

In a recent test conducted in the Asia-Pacific region, five samples from different batches of shrimp feed were analyzed for butyric acid content after pelleting. The results showcased an impressive average recovery rate of 92%, with all samples falling within a 90–95% recovery range. This consistency ensures that the product retains its efficacy from production to consumption, delivering reliable performance when it matters most.

If you'd like to learn more, we're happy to share additional insights. Don't hesitate to reach out – we'd love to connect and discuss how our product can support your business.  Contact Tony >>

Question 5: What is the latest science on the synergy between Butyric and Valeric Acid?

One of the latest additions to our portfolio is the combination of butyric and valeric acid glycerides, developed to align with current research into nutritional strategies for monogastric diets. Both of these short-chain fatty acids occur naturally in the intestinal tract. Given the growing scientific interest in this area, we are frequently asked about the latest findings related to this combination.

Butyric acid (BA) and valeric acid (VA) are naturally occurring short chain fatty acids produced by the gut microbiota and play essential roles in animal health. While naturally present, targeted supplementation depends on effective delivery systems. Our esterification technology facilitates the controlled release of BA and VA along the gastrointestinal tract. By binding these acids to glycerol (as mono-, di-, and tri-esters), we aim to:

• target release along the gastrointestinal tract to align with nutrient delivery goals
• improve product stability and handling properties compared to free acids
• reflect the natural coexistence of microbiota-derived butyric and valeric acids

Butyric acid (BA) has been studied in animal nutrition in relation to intestinal morphology and epithelial structure. It is known to act as an energy source for specific intestinal cells and has been reported in studies to support features such as villus height and epithelial integrity.

Valeric acid (VA), while less widely studied, has been investigated for its potential role in animal nutrition. Studies on VA glyceride esters have reported numerical improvements in performance indicators such as feed conversion ratio (FCR) and intestinal morphology, including villus-to-crypt ratios.

Recent trial data indicate that a combination of BA and VA glycerides may yield more consistent results than individual acids alone. Poeikhampha et al. () compared a BA-VA blend to tributyrin in broilers, observing improved average FCR (1.37 vs. 1.42 in controls) and body weight gain. The authors noted a potential positive effect with the 2 acids compared to butyrin’s alone.

Similarly, Gracia et al. () evaluated a butyric acid and valeric acid glycerides blend across six trials in Europe. The trials showed higher final body weights (+2.5%), improved FCR (1.58 vs. 1.60), and lower finisher-phase mortality in supplemented groups. The authors discussed these observations in the context of potential product effects on gut-related performance factors.

Perstorp’s pioneering work with valeric acid, combined with our deep understanding of the balance between valeric and butyric acids, highlights the crucial role this synergy plays in our solutions. Our work continues to explore how these components interact under commercial production conditions. 

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