We all have problems, and seeking to identify the source I think is pretty valuable if we want to correct the issue in the best way possible. We may not be able to pinpoint all the contributing factors, or even be able to dissect deep enough, but the closer we get to the hot spot, the better.
When it comes to our health problems, we would do well to learn about a very important substance called butyrate. Whether it’s intestinal issues such as diverticulosis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer, diarrhea, constipation, pain, straining, bloating, incomplete evacuation, blood in stools, sense of urgency, incontinence, and inflammatory bowel disease in the form of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease; or more general health issues such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, allergies, autoimmunity, inflammation, heart disease, and depression, butyrate probably has something to do with it.
Unfortunately, we typically think of upkeep when there is a problem. But focusing on butyrate for the purpose of maintenance would be a smart thing for us to do. This bacterial byproduct is produced in the recesses of our large intestine. As the beneficial bacteria that live inside of us break down compounds such as resistant starch, fiber, and polyphenols, they produce byproducts, including butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid.
There are also long-chain and medium-chain fatty acids, terms that simply refer to how long an individual molecule is. However, height never made the man, and it doesn’t lessen butyrate’s punch, either. Butyrate is short, but it’s got the greatest personality and biggest influence. It’s also referred to as sodium butyrate, butyric acid, and butanoic acid, but we will just refer to it as butyrate.
There are a couple other shorties that are produced by resident bacteria in the large intestine. Collectively, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) “are quantitatively and metabolically the most important microbial end-products of the human colon fermentation process, as they display several physiological effects.”1 It’s this diversity of effects on our physiology that we will be focusing on.
Butyrate’s contribution to our health distinguishes it from the rest. Once it is produced and released into the colon, 95% of butyrate is readily absorbed by the cells that make up the wall of the large intestine (colonocytes) and generates cellular energy. What gas is to a car, what glucose is to the brain, and what sunshine is to solar panels, butyrate is to the large intestine.
As you can imagine, the inner surface of the large intestine has a rough life, and its cells last less than a week. A four-day-old cell lining the large intestine’s wall is already on its way out, and that’s why the surface of the colon is one of the fastest replicating tissues in the body. Butyrate supports the regeneration of new, fresh cells and promotes the destruction of old or unhealthy cells in the inner lining of the large intestine. This is a process that is literally taking place all the time, and is very important in preventing colon cancer. Butyrate helps healthy cells to grow and facilitates the destruction of unhealthy cells.
As a short-chain fatty acid, its presence contributes to a lower pH, slightly acidic environment in the large intestine. In turn, this acidic pH provides a supportive environment in which butyrate-producing bacteria flourish. Additionally, a slightly acidic large intestine is also an environment that discourages colon cancer development and growth. Dietary fiber and its breakdown product, butyrate, have been found to be protective against colon cancer for a number of reasons.“Butyrate is recognized for its potential to act on secondary chemoprevention, by slowing growth and activating apoptosis (programmed cell death) in colon cancer cells.”2
This topic will be another one of those mini-series with part 1, 2, 3, etc. I hope you will stick around to learn more. Trust me, butyrate is not the end-all, be-all. It’s just a player in the marvelous workings of our intestinal world—and it gives me an excuse to explore it with you once again.
Scripture states that God put the body together and made it so that there would be mutual interdependency. “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26.
As we learn about our dependency on butyrate, may the rest of us rejoice.
