Butyric Acid: Discover The Incredible Health Benefits Of ...

Butyric acid is a vital fatty acid produced when the good bacteria in the gut break down dietary fibre. It is naturally found in animal fats and vegetable oils, however, the quantity of butyric acid found in food sources is less compared to the amount produced in the gut.

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What is Butyric Acid?

Butyric acid is known as a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), which is one among the three most common SCFA&#;s in the gut, along with acetic acid and propionic acid. These saturated fatty acids comprise about 90-95 % of the SCFAs in the gut that is produced when gut-friendly bacteria break down dietary fibre. Butyric acid is well-known to support digestive health, reduce inflammation and lowers the risk of diseases and promote overall health. It holds a significant role in providing colon cells with the needed energy to carry out its normal functions and also regulates blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It goes by other names such as butyrate and butanoic acid.

Incredible Health Benefits Of Butyric Acids

Fuels Gut

Butyric acid serves as a chief source of energy for colon cells, which make up the lining of the intestine. While most of the body cells utilise glucose as the main source of energy, the colon cells lining gut chiefly use butyrate, without butyrate these cells are unable to perform normal functions. The short-chain fatty acids offer an oxygen-free environment that supports the growth of gut microbes that controls inflammation and maintain gut cells healthy.

Also Read: Prebiotics: 5 Awesome Foods That Uphold Gut Health-Infographic

Potent Antioxidant Effects

Butyrate guards the cells against detrimental substances to keep gut healthy and disease-free. A colon is a storage place of the waster products. Higher levels of butyrate have shown to increase levels of glutathione, an antioxidants made in the system which neutralises free radicals in the gut. This improves the barrier function of the colonocytes and lowers the risk of bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Prevents Cancer

Regular intake of high fibre diet increases the amount of butyric acid produced in the gut which is well-known to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Studies have proven that butyric acid is a potential to prevent and treat colon cancer by blocking the growth of colorectal tumour cells. Moreover, it also leads to apoptosis that stops the growth of cancer cells completely.

Manages Diabetes

Studies show that butyrate stimulates the secretion of gut hormones such as glucagon &#;like-peptide -1(GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY).GLP-1 hormones increase insulin secretion and lower the production of glucagon in the pancreas. While the PYY hormones promote the uptake of glucose in muscles and fatty tissue. Thus the presence of butyric acid increases the secretion of gut hormones that regulate type 2 diabetes and control weight

Boosts Brain Health

Butyric acid plays a key role in promoting neuroprotective effects that trigger brain and nervous system function. Butyrate targets several pathways linked with the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson&#;s, Alzheimer&#;s stroke and autism. A diet abundant in butyric acid is an effective way to improve disease outcomes and uplift overall health.

Food Sources Rich In Butyric Acid

Generally, most of the butyric acid in the body is made from the gut bacteria. While some amount of butyric acid is also found naturally in food sources which include:

Ghee

Cow&#;s milk

Butter

Sheep&#;s milk

Breast milk

Parmesan cheese

Red meat

Vegetable oils

Sauerkraut

Butter is one of the richest sources of butyric acid. It is also available in the form of dietary supplement as sodium butyrate. However, increasing the intake of dietary fibre can also help to boost butyric acid level in the gut. The gut bacteria chiefly feed on resistant starches which the body can&#;t break down. Some of the good sources of resistant starches, pectin found in many fruits and inulin.

Also Read: Dietary Fibre And Its Role In Preventing Chronic Diseases

 Garlic

Onions

Asparagus

Potatoes

For more information, please visit butyric acid benefits.

Bananas

Apples

Apricots

Carrots

Oat bran

Conclusion:

Butyric acid is one of the most beneficial short-chain fatty acids that play a key role in uplifting digestive health, reduces inflammation, protects the brain, manages weight and prevent cancer. The gut bacteria in the body make butyrate from the foods you can&#;t digest, which renders the body with a host of health benefits. Enriching your diet with fibre will help to elevate the butyric acid production by the gut flora.

Disclaimer:

The content provided here is for informational purposes only. This blog is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance does not endorse or recommend any specific tests, physicians, procedures, opinions, or other information mentioned on the blog.

Production and absorption of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyric acid

Short-chain fatty acids are produced by bacterial fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates such as nonstarch polysaccharides, resistant starch, oligosaccharides (prebiotics (inulin) and oligofructose), disaccharides (lactose, stachyose, and raffinose), and sugar alcohols (sorbitol and mannitol) [4]. Butyric acid is mainly formed from the decomposition of pentoses contained in whole-grain products (wheat bran, whole-wheat bread, pasta, and brown rice), legumes, vegetables, and fruits [5]. In particular, resistant starch is regarded as butyrogenic [2], and examples of products rich in this dietary fibre are partially milled grains and seeds, uncooked and cooked-and-chilled potatoes, green bananas, vegetables, and legumes (e.g. lentils). The following are butyrate-producing bacterial species: Clostridium spp., Eubacterium spp., Fusobacterium spp., Butyrivibrio spp., Megasphaera elsdenii, Mitsuokella multiacida, Roseburia intestinalis, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Eubacterium hallii [6]. The daily production of SCFA in the large intestine in healthy humans ranges from 300 mmol to 400 mmol, and physiological concentrations of butyric acid in the intestinal contents range from 1 mmol/l to 10 mmol/l [7, 8].

Short-chain fatty acids are rapidly absorbed in the colon, and butyric acid is absorbed mainly in the ascending colon. Absorption occurs due to the high concentration gradient between the colonic lumen and the colonocyte, which occurs by either active or passive transport [9]. Butyric acid is completely metabolized in the colonic epithelial cells; therefore, only a small amount can enter the bloodstream [7].

Functional constipation

Constipation is a frequent, chronic gastroenterological problem that has many varied symptoms and thus has several clinical definitions. Functional constipation becomes a concern when it develops into a chronic disorder characterized by abnormal defecation, that is, persistent difficult or seemingly incomplete defecation and/or infrequent bowel movements, without any anatomical or physiological causes. It may have a neurological, psychological, or psychosomatic cause.

The constipation problem is widespread; however, accumulating reliable epidemiologic data is difficult because of the varied medical definitions and symptoms reported worldwide. The most common symptoms reported by the patients are bloating, abdominal pain, malaise, various stool consistencies, prolonged/excessive straining, and unsatisfactory defecation. According to a systematic review of the literature conducted in , constipation affects, on average, 17.1% of the general population of Europe. This value depends on the studied population, ranging from 0.7% to 81%. The problem was observed to be more common in women [10]. Table I shows the diagnostic criteria, so-called Rome III criteria, for functional constipation in adults [11].

Table I.

Diagnostic criteria for functional constipation in adults 1. Must include two or more of the following:

1. Straining during at least 25% of defecations

2. Lumpy or hard stools in at least 25% of defecations

3. Sensation of incomplete evacuation for at least 25% of defecations

4. Sensation of anorectal obstruction/blockage for at least 25% of defecations

5. Manual manoeuvres to facilitate at least 25% of defecations (e.g., digital evacuation, support of the pelvic floor)

6. Fewer than three defecations per week

2. Loose stools are rarely present without the use of laxatives 3. Insufficient criteria for irritable bowel syndrome Criteria must be fulfilled for the last 3 months with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis

Many different possible causes of functional constipation exist, from incorrect nutritional habits to low physical activity and primary motor dysfunctions due to colonic myopathy or neuropathy. Constipation can also be related to evacuation disorder, which is a secondary problem.

Management of chronic constipation is first based on recommending lifestyle changes including a high-fibre diet (also fibre supplements), increasing fluid intake, and increasing physical activity. Moreover, keeping a stool diary and bowel training may help. Furthermore, it is well documented that adding osmotic laxatives such as polyethylene glycol or lactulose can increase stool frequency and improve symptoms of constipation [12]. Sometimes prokinetic drugs are recommended; however, their effect is limited to the upper gastrointestinal tract [13].

Possibilities of butyric acid application in functional constipation

So far, despite the promising results of several studies on the mechanisms of action of butyric acid, particularly its role in the metabolism of intestinal epithelial cells, functional aspects of the intestine, and anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, studies that evaluate its efficacy strictly in functional constipation have not been conducted.

Some studies have shown potential therapeutic effects of butyrate on constipation, such as reducing pain during defecation. Banasiewicz et al. [14] performed a randomized controlled study in a group of 66 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation. They observed a statistically significant reduction in pain during defecation in patients who received microencapsulated sodium butyrate at a dose of 2 × 150 mg per day for 12 weeks compared with those who received placebo. After 4 weeks, a significant decrease in pain during defecation was reported by the study group (0.18 ±0.4 vs. 0.59 ±0.5, p = 0.), which was maintained for 12 weeks (0.15 ±0.36 vs. 0.59 ±0.50, p = 0.). In the 12th week, statistically significant changes in stool consistency (0.18 ±0.39 vs. 0.4 ±0.5, p = 0.) and a reduction in the incidence of constipation (0.24 ±0.43 vs. 0.47 ±0.51, p = 0.) were observed. A reduction in visceral sensitivity by butyrate was previously shown in a group of healthy volunteers. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted in 11 healthy subjects who self-administered daily, before sleeping, rectal enemas containing 100 mmol/l butyrate in the first week, 50 mmol/l butyrate in the second week, and placebo (saline) in the third week. At the start and end of each test period, pain, urge, and discomfort were measured using a rectal barometer. Administering butyrate at 50 mmol/l and 100 mmol/l respectively resulted in reductions in pain scores by 23.9% and 42.1% and discomfort scores by 44.2% and 69.0%, at a pressure of 4 mm Hg. At a higher pressure (67 mm Hg), butyrate decreased the pain scores by 23.8&#;42% and discomfort scores by 1.9&#;5.2% [15]. Colonic administration of butyrate at physiologically relevant concentrations was shown to dose-dependently decrease visceral sensitivity in healthy humans. Visceral hypersensitivity is thought to play a pivotal role in intestinal motor abnormalities and abdominal pain or discomfort; thus, butyric acid could be regarded as a potential solution in this issue.

The best-known mechanism of action of SCFA is the inhibition of proinflammatory mediator activities in the intestinal epithelium. In particular, butyric acid and its salts exert an anti-inflammatory effect. Sodium butyrate inhibits proinflammatory cytokine production by macrophages and monocytes, and reduces myeloperoxidase activity, primarily via inhibition of nuclear factor κB activation [16&#;18]. Evidence of the presence of low-grade inflammation in the intestinal mucosa of patients with IBS and some negative changes in their intestinal microflora were found [19, 20]. Increased myeloperoxidase activity in the large bowel was observed in adult patients with IBS [21]. Therefore, regarding the anti-inflammatory properties of butyric acid, a reduction in intestinal inflammation can result from butyric acid supplementation, which could potentially reduce difficulties in bowel movements.

Butyrate also supports mucosal barrier function by stimulating intestinal mucus production [22]. Butyric acid was documented to increase peristaltic efficiency by improving colonic smooth muscle contractility and regulating intestinal neurotransmission, especially in the case of slow peristalsis [23]. Moreover, all SCFAs limit the active secretion of water, sodium, and chloride ions by the intestinal epithelial cells [24]. These mechanisms of action of butyric acid seem to be useful in the treatment of defecation disorders.

So far, the main barriers in butyric acid application are its unpleasant taste and odour, and rapid absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract, which makes it almost impossible to reach the large intestine. In Poland, microencapsulated sodium butyrate coated with triglyceride is currently available. This modern form of butyric acid, in contrast to its standard form, allows the delivery of active substances to the small intestine and colon. Most microgranules pass through the small intestine and then to the colon along with intestinal contents. Therefore, sodium butyrate is gradually released throughout the entire length of the small and large intestines.

However, despite all the cited potential mechanisms of action of butyric acid, the effectiveness of its supplementation in the treatment of constipation needs to be confirmed in well-conducted studies.

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