If we had a tick box for every physical and mental process that involved the gut, the list would be as long as our arm.
We know that the little microorganisms that live in the gut work in synchrony to help to keep us well, and keeping this delicate balance of microbes finely tuned shows promising effects in slashing the risk of chronic disease such as diabetes and obesity, inflammatory bowel disease and even certain forms of cancer. Indeed the far-reaching impact that the gut has on our health is real.
If you’re relatively savvy about all things gut related, you’ll be versed in the basics of probiotics — live cultures that help good digestive bacteria to flourish. You might even have heard of prebiotics, (a food source for these beneficial microorganisms), but you’re probably less familiar with the newest big thing in health called butyrate.
Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid molecule (SCFA) produced by bacteria in the colon and it falls into the category of postbiotics, (essentially a byproduct of probiotics and prebiotics), and the effects of this master molecule are undeniably impressive. “Whilst there are other abundant short chain fatty acids, butyrate is one of the varieties considered to have the most positive effect on our health,” explains Liz Cooper, a technical advisor at gut health supplement brand Bio-Kult.
Butyrate is a crucial source of energy for the cells lining the gut and helps to promote the integrity of this barrier so that cells can easily absorb nutrients into the bloodstream and keep waste and harmful toxins out. If you suffer leaky gut, an autoimmune disease, food allergy or undiagnosed symptoms that your doctor can’t seem to properly diagnose, one of the underlying factors could be low levels of butyrate. Overuse of antibiotics, excess stress and a low fibre diet are just a few of the reasons there might be a supply and demand issue, but there are some proven ways to top up levels...
Eat bananas, but make sure they’re slightly green
Bananas are one of the richest sources of prebiotics, (functional foods that keeps the good bacteria thriving so that they can produce healthy byproducts like butyrate). According to research, up to 80 per cent of the carbohydrate in a banana is made up of prebiotic rich resistant starch which is nothing to wrinkle your nose up at. “Resistant starch is so called because it resists breakdown by digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, rather than being broken down into nutrients and absorbed through the gut wall, resistant starch is able to move into the large intestine and be available for fermentation by microbes,” says Cooper.
But don’t sit your bunch next to apples pears or avocado in the fruit bowl. These fruits release a gas called ethylene which speeds up ripening. Why is this bad? Those speckled banana peels indicate that the resistant starch inside has converted to sugar. Eat your bananas slightly green for a better starch to sugar ratio — you can wrap the tops in cling film to slow down ripening, or simply just keep them away from the fruit bowl.
Get yourself a pet
The link between gut health and getting a furry friend isn’t as tenuous as you might think. Not only are pets potent stress busters, studies indicate that owning a pet actually helps to improve the microbiome which will help to build up levels of postbiotics like butyrate. Epidemiological research show that children who grow up in households with dogs have a lower risk for developing autoimmune conditions like asthma and allergies. It’s thought this may be a result of the rich diversity of bacteria that these cuddly companions bring with them into the home, so if you grew up with a pet you are already one step ahead of the game. And it’s never too late — science says that the microbiome modulating benefits can also be accessed by elderly pet owners too.
Swap spreads for butter
They say the simplest things in life give us the most pleasure, and crunching on a humble slice of toast smothered in butter is definitely high up on the list of joyous daily rituals. Even better, butter is actually good for your gut. Hurray!
It contains valuable vitamins like A, E and K and it’s also a source of dietary butyrate which is readily available for our bodies to absorb. To gain the nutritional benefits, choose unsalted grass-fed organic butter over spreadable varieties as these usually contain processed vegetable oil which sadly your gut doesn’t love. “Hard cheeses such as parmesan; milk, particularly from goats and sheep; and other milk products such as yoghurt and cream are also good sources,” says Cooper.
Take a butyrate supplement
Taking a butyrate supplement might be the golden ticket to help hold your gut health together, because these specially designed formulations provide a concentrated dose to help protect the gut at a cellular level. Don’t expect miracles overnight though. Whilst some people might see an improvement immediately, (think less brain fog, better immunity and fewer dodgy tummy symptoms) following a three month course is a more realistic timeframe to build up levels.
Butyrate supplements come in the form of butyric acid, and are usually formulated with sodium, or calcium and magnesium. There’s more scientific studies on sodium-based butyrate supplements, but if you’re watching your sodium intake you might want to choose a calcium-magnesium based butyric acid supplement instead. This will also help to top up your levels of these two important minerals.
There are also specific gut supportive blends formulated with probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics together so it’s a good idea to experiment and see what works best for you. “Therefore, rather than consuming single strains, a variety of bacterial strains which work synergistically might be more helpful for butyrate production and gut health overall. These can be obtained by regularly taking a multi-strain live bacteria supplement,” says Cooper.
3 supplements to support your gut
BioCare Butyric Acid
This high strength supplement is formulated with calcium and magnesium to aid digestive health.
£49.69, biocare.co.uk
BodyBio Sodium Butyrate
A sodium based butyrate formulation to support the microbiome.
£27.44, bodybio.co.uk
Bio-Kult S. Boulardii
Boosting gut bacteria strains like s. Boulardii can help to enhance levels of beneficial postbiotics.
£15.98, bio-kult.com
Soak your pulses
Don’t overlook fibre in your diet. Fibre creates bulk so that the gut can excrete waste, plus the microbes that live in our digestive system can’t get enough of the stuff. Intestinal bacteria break down and ferment dietary fibre producing healthful compounds like butyrate which is why you should be aiming to get the recommended 30g of fibre in your daily diet every day. The best way to achieve this is to include a variety of fibrous foods in your diet. Vary your intake of pulses like beans and lentils and if you generally find dried pulses difficult to digest, make sure to soak them in cold water for a couple of hours before cooking or use tinned pulses as an alternative but be mindful of the sodium content, (the recommended intake falls at a maximum of 6g or one level teaspoon per day).
Wholegrains such as spelt, brown rice and quinoa and nuts and seeds are also good fibre sources to include in your daily diet. Surprisingly chocolate is another great fibre source. “Dark chocolate also contains fibre, around 10.9g of fibre per 100g of 70–85% cacao solids. However, it’s best to eat chocolate in moderation,” explains Cooper. We like the sound of that!
