Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced in the gut when beneficial bacteria break down dietary fiber. Although it’s less well known than probiotics or prebiotics, butyrate plays a key role in digestive health, gut lining integrity, and inflammation balance, which is why it’s receiving growing attention in gut health research.
Your body doesn’t get butyrate directly from food alone. Instead, it’s created inside the colon through the fermentation of certain fiber-rich foods. When butyrate levels are adequate, it helps nourish the cells that line the gut, supports a healthy immune response, and contributes to overall metabolic health. When levels are low, digestive symptoms and broader health issues may be more likely to show up.
Because butyrate production depends on both diet and the health of the gut microbiome, it’s an important, but often overlooked, piece of the gut health puzzle. Understanding what butyrate is, how it works, and how to support healthy levels can help explain why fiber, microbial diversity, and gut function are so closely connected.
To better understand the role of butyrate in the body, we spoke with Jennifer Katz, a former health coach with Parsley Health, about how butyrate works, common signs of low levels, and ways to support butyrate production through food and lifestyle.
What is butyrate?
Butyrate, or butyric acid, is what’s known as a postbiotic: a byproduct of our gut’s natural fermentation process. Katz explains, when we eat foods that are rich in fiber, our gut bacteria consumes that fiber and leaves behind beneficial compounds—including, with certain foods, butyrate. She adds that butyrate is one of several short-chain fatty acids that support our overall health. Where long-chain and medium-chain fatty acids are relatively easy to acquire through the foods we eat, short-chain fatty acids tend to be less common in most people’s diets. Nevertheless, they’re important to seek out.
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Why do short-chain fatty acids matter?
“Short-chain fatty acid is so important because it serves as almost an instant energy source,” Katz explains, adding that short-chain fatty acids are easier to turn into energy than their long and medium counterparts. “It can be a burst of energy for the brain; it can turn into ketones very quickly; it can help rebuild the epithelial cells in the intestinal lining.” Research suggests short-chain fatty acids may also help bolster the immune system and improve sleep quality.
How can butyrate specifically benefit your health?
According to Katz, recent and emerging research suggests that our microbiome specifically stands to benefit from a diet that provides us with an adequate amount of butyrate: “[It] can help maintain balance in the gut, it can help provide energy for the colon, and it has been shown to help reduce all-around inflammation.” And, given short-chain fatty acids’ ability to repair the intestinal lining, butyrate may also help prevent leaky gut.
This condition arises when our intestinal barrier is compromised: Normally, our intestinal lining consists of tightly connected cells with regulated junctions between them that do not permit any bacteria or toxic substances to go across the intestinal lining and get into your blood. If those perforations become more permeable, unwanted molecules (including large food particles, bacteria, and toxins) can make their way through as well, leading to an increase in inflammation, gastrointestinal discomfort (i.e., gas, cramps, and bloating), chronic conditions like celiac disease and gluten intolerance and other, potentially more serious, health complications.
There are many reasons these perforations may become more permeable, from inflammation in the body to antibiotics to infections. Katz adds, "Everything from diabetes to cancer to food allergies to general malaise to brain fog — you name it — can be associated with a leaky gut."
Butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria during the fermentation of dietary fiber—plays a critical role in improving the function of the intestinal barrier. It enhances the assembly of tight junctions between intestinal cells, reduces inflammation, and helps maintain gut integrity. Butyrate may also protect against food allergies, stabilize blood sugar levels, support brain health, and reduce systemic inflammation.
However, Katz is quick to note, however, that these benefits come with a caveat: “[Butyrate is] newly studied, so a lot of these [findings] are brand new. The studies haven’t been repeated but they have shown really good things thus far.” In other words, butyrate is by no means a silver bullet, but it may still be in your interest to add butyrate-rich foods to your diet.
Who needs to worry about getting enough butyrate?
Because butyrate is a fairly specific and isolated compound, it’s unlikely that anyone will suffer from symptoms that can be directly linked to a butyrate deficiency. Instead, Katz says looking at your eating habits may help you determine whether you’re getting enough butyrate. “Those with a low fiber diet are probably lacking butyrate,” she says. “Fiber is extremely important for butyric acid to actually do its thing and to be made.” Again, the good bugs in your gut consume the fiber from the foods you eat and create butyrate in the process—so, insufficient fiber can mean insufficient butyrate.
Katz says people dealing with inflammation or gut imbalances, perhaps due to antibiotic use, indigestion, or IBS, are also more likely to lack butyrate. Aside from that, anyone who’s invested in having a healthy microbiome may want to take a greater interest in their butyrate intake, due to the positive impact it can have on intestinal function.
As far as how to increase your butyrate intake goes, Katz’s recommendation is simple: “This is one of those things that you can take preventatively. You can take a butyrate supplement, but you really do want to get it from your food.”
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Recommended Butyrate foods
Where some foods contain the fiber necessary to create butyrate in the body, other foods are, in and of themselves, rich in butyrate. Chief among this latter category is a variety of dairy products (though if you’re intolerant or sensitive to dairy, you’ll want to steer clear) including the following:
You can also consume foods that don’t necessarily contain butyrate but will help the bugs in your gut create it. Here are the best foods to add to your diet:
- High-fiber fruits and vegetables, including apples, broccoli, potatoes, and dark greens
- Legumes
- Nuts, particularly walnuts
- Sauerkraut
When should you consider taking a supplement for Butyrate?
While most people should be able to get enough butyrate from foods alone, Katz notes two groups who may want to consider supplementing it instead.
First, she points to those with food intolerances and allergies. If you’re lactose intolerant, for example, you certainly shouldn’t try eating butter and cheese just because they contain this helpful compound. In that case, Katz says you may want to talk to your doctor about trying a supplement—and to consider gut healing or allergy therapy in order to work your way out of that intolerance.
Second, she points to people with imbalanced gut microbiomes and digestive issues that range from those who deal with IBS to those who have an ostomy bag or are undergoing colon therapies.
This group may have microbiomes that are in such a “deficient state,” as Katz puts it, that starting with a butyrate supplement may help them play catch-up and eventually reach a point where they can more easily digest the kinds of foods that will naturally provide them with more butyrate. “It’s sort of a catch-22,” Katz says. “You need great digestion in order to get what you need out of the foods that give you butyrate, but you also need butyrate to get good digestion. It may depend on where you’re starting from.”
When in doubt, ask your healthcare provider about what you can do to increase or maintain your gut health. Starting that conversation will give you a much better idea of your microbiome’s individual needs.
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Improving Butyrate and holistic health
“[Butyrate] can do so much, but it has to go hand-in-hand with other lifestyle modifications and habits,” Katz says. Alone, it won’t make much of a difference, but when butyrate works in tandem with a lifestyle that prioritizes gut health, one that features prebiotic and probiotic foods, exercise, adequate rest, and stress-management practices, it proves itself to be a valuable cog in the machine that is your microbiome.
Frequently Asked Questions About Butyrate
What is butyrate?
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced in the gut when beneficial bacteria ferment dietary fiber. It helps support gut lining health, digestion, and immune balance.
What does butyrate do in the body?
Butyrate serves as a primary energy source for cells lining the colon. It also helps support a healthy gut barrier, regulates inflammation, and plays a role in metabolic and immune function.
What foods are high in butyrate?
Most butyrate is made in the gut, not consumed directly. Foods that support butyrate production include:
- Fiber-rich vegetables (like broccoli and Brussels sprouts)
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Resistant starches (such as cooled potatoes or rice)
- Fermented foods
These foods help feed the gut bacteria that produce butyrate.
Can you get butyrate directly from food?
Only small amounts of butyrate are found naturally in foods like butter and full-fat dairy. The majority of butyrate in the body comes from gut bacteria breaking down fiber.
What are symptoms of low butyrate levels?
Low butyrate levels may be associated with digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, or changes in bowel habits. Some research also links low butyrate to gut inflammation and reduced gut barrier function, though symptoms vary.
What causes low butyrate levels?
Low butyrate production may be influenced by:
- Low fiber intake
- Reduced gut bacterial diversity
- Chronic stress
- Digestive disorders
- Frequent antibiotic use
Because butyrate production depends on gut health, multiple factors often contribute.
Is butyrate good for gut health?
Yes. Butyrate is widely studied for its role in supporting gut lining integrity, microbial balance, and inflammation regulation. It’s considered an important marker of overall gut health.
Can butyrate help with inflammation?
Research suggests butyrate may help regulate inflammatory responses in the gut and beyond. Its anti-inflammatory effects are one reason it’s closely studied in digestive and metabolic health research.
Should I take a butyrate supplement?
Some people may consider supplements if they struggle to produce enough butyrate through diet alone. However, supplements aren’t necessary for everyone, and dietary strategies are often the first step. A clinician can help determine whether supplementation is appropriate.
Is sodium butyrate the same as butyrate?
Sodium butyrate is a supplemental form of butyrate. It delivers butyrate directly rather than relying on gut bacteria to produce it, but it works differently than increasing butyrate naturally through fiber intake.
How long does it take to increase butyrate levels?
Supporting butyrate production through diet can take weeks to months, depending on gut health, fiber intake, and microbial diversity. Changes tend to be gradual rather than immediate.
