How to Take Butyrate Supplements

Article Summary

• For some individuals, taking a butyrate supplement can offer an easier alternative than increasing dietary sources to enhance the butyrate level in the intestine.
• Several clinical studies have established good tolerance of oral butyrate, even in significantly high amounts. 
• Consulting with a healthcare provider is always recommended to determine the right amount of butyrate supplementation for optimal gut function.* 
• As untreated butyrate is mostly absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract before reaching the intestine, butyrate capsules or tablets can supply butyrate directly to the desired point in the intestinal tract.

The health of your gut microbiome is critical to your overall well-being. Several studies have highlighted the role of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate, in regulating gut and immune functions.* Butyrate is also known to impact the gut-brain axis, thereby influencing your mental health.* 

Because butyrate is primarily produced by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers in the lower intestine, including fiber-rich foods in the diet is often recommended to enhance the level of butyrate in the gut. However, some individuals with complex medical conditions may be intolerant of the high amounts of fiber consumption required to produce desired butyrate levels for optimal gut function. A butyrate supplement can be an easy alternative to increasing the level of butyrate in the intestine.*       

Purpose of A Butyrate Supplement for Gastrointestinal Health*

To understand how a butyrate supplement can promote gastrointestinal health, let’s look at what might prompt an increased demand for endogenous butyrate production that would dictate supplementation. 

• Potential damage to intestinal epithelial cells or colonocytes, spiking their metabolism and subsequent expenditure of energy.
• Lower endogenous butyrate production due to changes in the small intestine’s bacterial flora. 
• Stimulation of intestinal growth under conditions like accelerated intestinal passage and intestinal excretion.
• Other pathological conditions.

An animal study on the effect of butyrate supplementation on the composition of gut microbiota found that exercise, in combination with butyrate supplements, beneficially alters the gut microbiota. The combined factors enhance the density of butyrate-producing fecal bacteria and subsequent butyrate production.* 

Butyrate supports the gut barrier by inhibiting bacteria and other microbes from entering the bloodstream. Thus, a butyrate supplement can provide substantial nutritional support to help address symptoms of various adverse health conditions that impact the gastrointestinal environment.*

How To Take Butyrate Supplements for Optimal Benefits

If you are considering taking a butyrate supplement, then it’s important to consider:

• The right amount of butyrate supplement to take for optimal gut function. The current recommended amount of butyric acid supplementation is between 150-300 mg. per day. This means the maximum amount of butyrate in a single capsule should not exceed 300 mg. The optimal amount of butyrate supplementation remains difficult to determine, however, as the results of clinical studies conducted so far are highly inconclusive. Therefore, consulting with a healthcare provider is always recommended before beginning or adding a butyrate nutritional supplement to your daily regimen.   

• Taking a butyrate supplement with other supplements and prescription medications. Can a butyrate supplement be taken with other supplements, such as probiotics? Several studies confirm the beneficial effects of probiotic microorganisms on the balance of the intestinal microbiome and the production of short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate. 

Although the immunomodulatory effect has been established for short-chain fatty acids produced by probiotics, the mechanism of their action is still being studied. Although the tolerability of oral butyrate, even in a significantly high amount, has been confirmed through clinical studies, it is always advisable to consult with a healthcare provider before taking a butyrate supplement with any prescription medication and/ or other nutritional supplements.      

• The most effective form of butyrate supplement. To increase short-chain fatty acid intake, conventionally accepted methods include taking butyrate mineral salts, either orally or through a sodium butyrate enema. 
• It is worth noting that non-enveloped, or the ‘clean’ form of butyrate, is absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract and reaches the intestine at a much lower concentration, thereby reducing its efficacy. To achieve effective supplementation, users should optimize the form of butyrate supply. A butyrate nutritional supplement can supply butyrate directly to the desired point in the intestinal tract.   
• ProButyrate^®, a Tesseract formula, supports a healthy inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract and helps stabilize the gut microbiome.* The proprietary CyLoc^® – DexKey^® technology isolates and encases individual molecules of butyric acid, masks their unpleasant taste, protects them from being degraded, and delivers them throughout the intestinal tract one molecule at a time. The result is enhanced palatability and unprecedented absorption of this important short-chain fatty acid, leading to overall positive health benefits.*   

The power of Tesseract supplements lies in the proprietary science of proven nutrients and unrivaled smart delivery, making them the most effective for supporting gastrointestinal health and neurological health.*

Works Cited

¹Yu C, Liu S, Chen L, et al. J Endocrinol. 2019 Nov;243(2):125-135. doi: 10.1530/JOE-19-0122. PMID: 31454784.

²Banasiewicz T, Domagalska D, Borycka-Kiciak K, Rydzewska G. (2019). Przegla̜d Gastroenterologiczny, 15(2), 119-125. https://doi.org/10.5114/pg.2020.95556

³Markowiak-Kopeć P, Śliżewska K. (2020). Nutrients, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041107