Gut health Archives - Good Shepherd News - Fastest Growing Religious, Free Speech & Political Content https://goodshepherdmedia.net/tag/gut-health/ Christian, Political, ‎‏‏‎Social & Legal Free Speech News | Ⓒ2024 Good News Media LLC | Shepherd for the Herd! God 1st Programming Sun, 12 Feb 2023 12:25:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Good-Shepherd-News-Logo-150x150.png Gut health Archives - Good Shepherd News - Fastest Growing Religious, Free Speech & Political Content https://goodshepherdmedia.net/tag/gut-health/ 32 32 How Does Exercise Affect The Gut Microbiome? https://goodshepherdmedia.net/how-does-exercise-affect-the-gut-microbiome/ Sat, 12 Feb 2022 12:11:31 +0000 https://goodshepherdmedia.net/?p=11785 How Does Exercise Affect The Gut Microbiome?

Your gut microbiome is a symbiotic ecosystem that adapts to you — that’s why physical activity is good for your gut microbes.

 

There’s a whole world living inside your colon (i.e., the large intestine), and it does a bunch of important stuff. This ecosystem is mainly made up of bacteria that perform a range of essential functions for digestive and overall health.

It’s called the gut microbiome. It eats what you eat, it gets stressed when you do, and now science shows that the composition and functions of your gut bacteria are enhanced by exercise and physical activity.

Table of contents

 

In this article, we’ll review some microbiome basics before diving into the exciting findings about physical exercise, like how it increases microbial diversity and how to apply these findings to your daily life.

☝DISCLAIMER☝ This article is for informational purposes. Always consult your GP if you plan on implementing changes to your exercise routine, especially if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical activity.

Your microbiome is a self-portrait

 

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we’re told. And in this case, you should be very flattered, because your microbiome looks just like you (well nearly).

Thanks to genetic sequencing technology, humanity recently discovered how essential our gut microbes are for good health, and how much they reflect our daily lives and naughty indulgences. But first, we should probably explain what the fuss is about bacteria.

Your gut bacteria belong in an ecosystem that also includes some yeasts and other microscopic creatures. It performs many important functions for human health, like producing and breaking down food molecules into nutrients that complement the physiological functions of the human body.

In a nutshell, your gut bacteria produce fatty acids, vitamins, and amino acids that have a range of beneficial effects for the body, from promoting healthy immune system function to maintaining the integrity of the gut lining.

You can learn more about the composition of your gut microbiome and how it affects your health with the Atlas Biomed Microbiome Test.

Microbial diversity is essential for health

 

We have a win-win arrangement with our microbes when we live a healthy life: we give these single-celled organisms a home, and they work hard alongside us.

The microbiome influences nutrition, metabolic health, and immune system function among many other things, including the human brain. So it wasn’t a stretch when scientists considered the possibility of physical exercise having an impact on the microbiome.Diversity is a key parameter for measuring microbiome health, and this ecosystem is made up of hundreds of species. A diverse microbiota profile is associated with enhanced vitamin and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, dietary fibre metabolism, and even increased disease protection.

On the other hand, there’s a word for a poor or imbalanced ecosystem that can’t adequately do its job for the host, a human. It’s called dysbiosis. When dysbiosis affects the gut, the communities of beneficial and benign bacteria that usually make up the microbiota are altered, leading to digestive symptoms and conditions.

What can exercise do for my microbiome?

 

Recent studies suggest that exercise has a number of benefits for the gut microbiota. It is linked to increases in the number of beneficial microbial species and enriching microbial diversity, as well as enhanced short-chain fatty acid synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism.
≤ 50% reduction in colon cancer risk by physical activity

Studies have shown, for example, that even little changes can yield results. For example, increasing the frequency of moderate exercise from never to daily leads to a greater diversity in Firmicutes.

This phylum (a taxonomic rank) of bacteria includes Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, species of Oscillospira, as well as members of the Lachnospira and Coprococcus genera that contribute to a healthier gut environment.

Body fat percentage, muscle mass, and physical activity are significantly correlated with several bacterial populations

Another study we will explore later looked at how physical exercise in women affects the microbiome. It found that doing exercise was correlated with higher representation of bacteria with health-promoting functions in females.

These included F. prausnitzii and Roseburia hominis, known for their butyrate-producing abilities, and Akkermansia muciniphila that is abundant in athletes, and low levels are associated with metabolic conditions, like obesity and diabetes.

Research comparing elite athletes to sedentary controls (average human participants that don’t do much physical exercise) also highlights that the microbiome is much more than just a gut thing.

One major study investigated the microbiomes of 40 professional international rugby union players compared to control groups of people of similar age with either high or low BMI. It highlighted “significantly greater intestinal microbial diversity among the athletes”.

A number of other parameters also showed significantly improved results versus those of the controls. These included short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs): they recorded “significantly higher levels of acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate in athletes relative to controls.”SCFAs are organic compounds produced by gut bacteria from tough-to-digest plant fibres in your diet. In particular, butyrate has been shown to have a number of health-promoting functions.

Among other things, butyrate is the main source of fuel for the cells of the gut lining, helping to maintain its integrity, reduce inflammation, and prevent organic compounds from foods, toxins, and metabolites from crossing into the bloodstream.

The study also identified increases in the metabolic pathways of the microbiome (a series of chemical reactions within a cell):

  • production of amino acids, essential building blocks of cells
  • antibiotic biosynthesis that supports immune system function
  • carbohydrate metabolism that provides fuel

In short, physical exercise has been shown to provide tangible improvement for several markers associated with physical performance and health, particularly in terms of beneficial types of bacteria and their functions.

REMEMBER ☝Protection from obesity and diabetes, as well as potential for butyrate production and the composition of your microbiome, are traits you can check with the Atlas Biomed Tests.

Gut microbial diversity and physical activity

 

You may rightly wonder whether physical exercise transforms the microbiota, or if having a healthy microbiota makes you more inclined to be active. It’s a chicken-or-egg scenario that scientists are looking at from both angles.

Because, for example, it’s true that dysbiosis can cause inflammation that leads to depressive symptoms, and depression is not conducive to getting out and doing things. But on the other hand, several studies indicate that doing sports can actually change your gut ecosystem.A 2017 study, this time in women, demonstrated that physical exercise “can modify the composition of gut microbiota” in a positive way. Differences in gut microbiota profile between women with active lifestyle and sedentary women by Carlo Bressa and colleagues studied two groups of women between the ages of 18 and 40.

Active participants were selected for the group that performed at least 10 hours of physical exercise over a 7-day period during the trial. The sedentary group participated in quiet activities and were selected from women who weren’t particularly active in their daily lives, performing less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times per week.

Eleven genera (a taxonomic rank of bacteria) were “significantly different between active and sedentary women”. Importantly, the active group of women had a “higher abundance of health-promoting bacterial species, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis, and Akkermansia muciniphila”.

They also found that “body fat percentage, muscular mass, and physical activity significantly correlated with several bacterial populations.” Basically, leading an active lifestyle was more pleasing to some bacteria than others, and that’s a very good thing.

What sports can improve your microbiome?

 

Physical activity is divided into two categories, strength and endurance, that are determined by how your body produces energy to fuel your performance.

VO2 max accounts for 20% of the variation in taxonomic richness

Strength sports require high-intensity effort, like weight lifting, sprinting, and boxing. These sports build muscle mass by exercising your cells’ anaerobic pathways. That means that your muscles use their limited glycogen stores to create ATP (the fuel for your muscles) without using oxygen.

This differs from endurance sports that allow the body to perform exercise at a lower intensity, but for much longer periods, like long-distance running, cycling, and skiing. Such activities are considered aerobic because the muscles use oxygen to transform fats and sugars into ATP for fuel.

The most popular way of measuring cardiovascular fitness is V02 max that looks at the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. It is used to assess endurance performance, and can be significantly improved with high-intensity exercises.Several studies indicate a relationship between microbiota composition and cardiorespiratory fitness that can account for more than 20% of the variation in “taxonomic richness” (diversity of bacteria identified in the microbiome). These changes were noted to be independent of other factors, including age, fat intake, and carbohydrate intake.

Cardio is the way to go

 

As we’ve seen, studies indicate that aerobic exercise, commonly known as cardio, has benefits for your microbiota, both in terms of increased abundance of beneficial bacteria and overall diversity.

Cardio is about going long and steady, ensuring the supply of oxygen to your muscles so they can create fuel (ATP). This includes any exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period of time.Walking, running, dancing, cycling, the elliptical machine, and the rower at the gym are all examples of cardio workouts. However, the intensity and duration of your workout will vary depending on your general fitness level.

If you are just dipping your toes into the exercise pond, you might not be able to sustain your effort for long. And that is totally okay because cardio is all about the long run. Take it easy, keep at it, and your body will adjust! #PunIntended

The NHS has issued recommendations for physical activity in adults, here is what they say:

  • At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or brisk walking, every week
    and
  • Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

OR

 

  • 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis, every week
    and
  • Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

OR

 

  • A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week — for example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of brisk walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity,
    and
  • Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

Don’t forget to stretch all the major muscle-tendon groups (a total of 60 seconds per group) two or more times per week to maintain the range of movement of your joints. You should also make sure to break up long periods of sitting by getting up and moving around.

REMEMBER ☝Predisposition to athletic performance, as well as potential for butyrate production and the composition of your microbiome, are traits you can check with the Atlas Biomed Tests.

Do I need a microbiome test?

 

You can learn more about the composition of your gut microbiome and how it affects your health with the Atlas Biomed Microbiome Test. Your health report includes:

  • an overall score for microbiome functions and disease protection
  • in-depth profile of your microbes and a probiotics report
  • potential for nutrient synthesis, including butyrate and vitamins
  • ability to break down fibre and personalised food recommendations

We use advanced genetic sequencing to analyse your microbiome, generating results and recommendations using algorithms based on the results of thousands of clinical trials and scientific papers.

This allows us to identify your individual traits and tailor recommendations for your unique body to enhance your health and wellbeing.

Sources:

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]]> 9 Health Benefits Of Butyrate For Your Body And Gut https://goodshepherdmedia.net/9-health-benefits-of-butyrate-for-your-body-and-gut/ Sun, 12 Dec 2021 11:45:23 +0000 https://goodshepherdmedia.net/?p=11761 9 Health Benefits Of Butyrate For Your Body And Gut

Your gut needs butyrate for health, and it’s made by the gut microbiome. Here’s what you need to know about it.

Gut bacteria produce butyrate, an important short-chain fatty acid that supports digestive health, helps control inflammation, and even aids in preventing disease. Here’s why you need more butyrate in your life:

  1. 1. Fuel the gut lining
  2. 2. Harness antioxidant powers
  3. 3. Stop gut inflammation
  4. 4. Say no to cancer
  5. 5. Plug that leaky gut
  6. 6. Combat obesity and diabetes
  7. 7. Protect your brain
  8. 8. Boost butyrate with fiber
  9. 9. It’s a social molecule
To make butyrate, your gut bacteria transform dietary fibers found in whole, plant foods. They are called “prebiotics”, because they nourish and encourage the health-promoting activities of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome.

Your body produces less butyrate than other short-chain fatty acids, but it has many health benefits. It is needed for your overall gut health, as well as helping to make energy for some of your gut cells. Plus, it can plug a leaky gut and even help stabilise blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

1. Fuels your gut cells

Butyrate is the main energy source for colonocytes, the cells which make up your gut lining.

Unlike most other cells in your body which use sugar (glucose) as their main energy source, the cells of the lining of your gut (colonocytes) mainly use butyrate. Without butyrate, these cells would not be able to carry out their functions correctly.

Members of the Firmicutes genus, a classification of bacteria, are well known for producing butyrate. More specifically, microbes like Roseburia spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Eubacterium rectale turn prebiotics like dietary fibre into butyrate.

This three-way relationship is mutual. Butyrate fuels colonocytes, and in return these cells help provide an oxygen-free environment in which beneficial gut microbes thrive. This keeps inflammation in check, gut cells healthy, and gut bacteria happy.

2. Harness antioxidant powers

Butyrate defends your cells from harmful substances to keep your gut healthy and disease-free.

Let’s talk about free radicals, which are basically waste products from chemical reactions in the body. Antioxidants, on the other hand, are your body’s defence against them. Large numbers of free radicals cause damage and overwhelm the body’s repair systems. We call this oxidative stress.

The colon or large intestine is a storage container for the waste you produce. Higher butyrate levels have been shown to increase levels of glutathione, an antioxidant produced in the body’s cells which neutralises free radicals in the gut. This is good because free radicals are linked to inflammation and many diseases.

So, increased butyrate production could improve the barrier function of the colonocytes due to its secondary antioxidant functions. This reduces the risk of diseases like bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

3. Prevents gut inflammation

Butyrate possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer functions for your gut.

Your gut lining maintains a low level of inflammation just in case there are any changes at the mucosal surface that’s in contact with the microbiome. The low level of inflammation is tightly controlled, but if it is disrupted, it can lead to oxidative damage and over a prolonged period, even cancer.

Butyrate stops some of the pro-inflammatory substances in your body from working. The anti-inflammatory effect of butyrate reduces oxidative stress and controls the damage caused by free radicals.So, your diet can have a massive effect on both butyrate production as well as gut inflammation. A diet high in fiber is particularly beneficial for butyrate production because it feeds your butyrate-producing bacteria. More butyrate means less inflammation.

4. Take action against cancer

Butyrate keeps your gut environment stable and is part of the protective effect associated with dietary fiber against certain cancers.

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is a major health burden in the western world and our diet is largely to blame. A diet low in dietary fiber affects the bacteria in your gut. Your colonocytes need butyrate for energy, and if they have no energy, they can’t work.

Ripe Market
Butyrate is produced by gut bacteria from prebiotic fibers in plant foods

If the cells lining your gut are unable to work, cells associated with tumor progression can thrive. These give off inflammatory signals and lead to tumor development. So, low dietary fiber means reduced butyrate production, a risk factor for bowel cancer.

Butyrate is also a histone deacetylase inhibitor. Histone deacetylase is an enzyme produced in most cancers. Because butyrate is an inhibitor, it causes cells to, in effect, commit suicide, a process known as apoptosis. So, it can stop cancer cells developing altogether.

5. Plug a leaky gut

Your gut lining needs butyrate to stay healthy and function properly. It’s as simple as that.

The gut lining is an intestinal barrier. It selectively allows things like vitamins and minerals to leave the gut, enter the bloodstream, and travel to where they’re needed. Equally, it stops toxins, pathogens, and food compounds from entering the bloodstream and making you ill.

The process is called intestinal permeability by doctors and scientists. When the barrier is healthy, small holes called tight junctions relax, allowing water and nutrients to pass through.

Innocuous habits, like frequent snacking, stop these tight junctions from closing between meals, so bacteria and unwanted substances things can enter your bloodstream. This is leaky gut.The butyrate produced by your gut microbes from the dietary fiber provides the fuel needed by the cells in your gut lining. By doing so, it preserves the integrity of your gut lining, preventing leaky gut from occurring.

6. Combat obesity and diabetes

Butyrate could improve obesity and type II diabetes by increasing the production of certain gut hormones which improve blood sugar balance.

Insulin is released from the pancreas when your blood sugar levels rise. On the flipside, this organ releases glucagon when insulin levels (and blood sugar levels) in the bloodstream are too low, so the liver can send glucose into the bloodstream.

Together, these hormones work to keep your blood sugar levels stable. When blood sugar is too high, insulin tells the body’s muscle and fat cells to take in this excess glucose, which is why these hormones are important for obesity and diabetes.

Research shows butyrate enhances the secretion of gut hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). GLP-1 increases insulin production and reduces glucagon production in the pancreas. PYY increases the uptake of glucose in both your muscles and fatty tissue.Increased production of short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate in the colon, increases the release of these gut hormones, indicating potential benefits for managing blood sugar levels and preventing weight gain.

7. Protect your brain

As well as its roles in the gut, butyrate has significant potential to support brain health.

Butyrate, produced by the bacteria in your colon, has a range of biological functions. These functions are also associated with neuroprotective effects (that benefit your brain and nervous system).

Butyrate targets many of the pathways associated with the progression of diseases like Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, stroke, and autism. Therefore, butyrate can influence brain health, and diet could be a simple way to improve disease outcomes.Boosting your butyrate production through your diet is easy and low risk. One day it may even be a potential treatment option for brain diseases. More importantly, increasing your butyrate production right now can benefit your health in many ways.

8. Boost butyrate with fiber

A high fiber diet can boost butyrate production because it encourages the butyrate-producing bacteria in your colon to thrive.

Members of the Firmicutes phylum are renowned for their ability to produce butyrate. If you want to nourish this class of bacteria and, indeed your microbiome in general, then foods containing prebiotics are popular with your gut bacteria.

Prebiotics are foods which directly nourish your microbiome and include vegetables, fruit, pulses, and whole grains. They contain dietary fibre that is fermented by your gut bacteria into organic compounds like butyrate.Diets which are high in fat and low in carbohydrates can disrupt butyrate production. Your gut bacteria feed on fiber, not animal protein. So, the best way to optimise your butyrate production is through a high-fiber diet.

Food sources which benefit butyrate production

Barley Oats Rye
Bran Whole grains Mushrooms
Apples Citrus Berries
Onions Garlic

9. Social communication

It might sound mad but your microbial community could be influencing your social behaviour.

In short, butyrate stinks. Literally. The word is in fact derived from the Latin butyrum, meaning butter. You’re probably familiar with the smell of gone off milk or spoiled butter, well that’s butyrate. Sounds disgusting, right?

field
Perhaps these women are communicating by smell too thanks to butyrate?

It’s easy to understand why it would smell so bad when it is produced under anaerobic conditions like putrefaction, biological decomposition, and fermentation. Oh, and did we mention it’s also a component of body odour?

Some scientists believe we use odorous short-chain fatty acids like butyrate to (unconsciously) communicate with each other. It’s known as a “fermentation hypothesis for chemical communication”. And it might be true, let’s face it, B.O. is a pretty personal thing!

Summary

In short, butyrate is pretty cool. Your gut bacteria make butyrate from the foods you can’t digest. As a result, it provides your body with many health benefits. Enriching your diet with fibre will help to increase your butyrate production and your gut microbes will love you for it too.

☝TIP☝Discover your gut bacteria and their functions with the Atlas Microbiome Test

Sources:

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]]> What Are Short-Chain Fatty Acids And Why Should You Care? https://goodshepherdmedia.net/what-are-short-chain-fatty-acids-and-why-should-you-care/ Sun, 12 Dec 2021 11:33:34 +0000 https://goodshepherdmedia.net/?p=11760 What Are Short-Chain Fatty Acids And Why Should You Care?

Short-chain fatty acids are produced by beneficial bacteria in your microbiome and they’re essential for your gut, body, and even brain health.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) can be made from all carbohydrates, but mainly from prebiotic dietary fibers that fuel the activities of beneficial bacteria. These organic compounds have many important roles in the gastrointestinal tract, and for your wider health.

Table of contents

However, there are some circumstances where their production can be limited, particularly when we don’t consume enough whole plant foods like, in the Western diet. Therefore, the importance of fibre cannot be taken too lightly.

It’s found in whole plant foods and because it nourishes the good bacteria in your gut, it is known as a “prebiotic”. You can increase your own SCFA production by increasing your intake of these dietary fibres.

The short version

SCFA Main producer Health benefits
Acetate Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia muciniphila, Prevotella spp., Ruminococcus spp. regulates pH of the gut; controls appetite; nourishes butyrate-producing bacteria; protects against pathogens
Butyrate Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Eubacterium rectale and Roseburia spp. energy source for colon cells; helps prevent leaky gut, combats inflammation and cancer activity, protects the brain
Propionate Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae regulates appetite; combats inflammation; helps protect against cancer
Lactate Lactic acid bacteria nourishes butyrate-producing bacteria; regulates the immune system; combats opportunistic bacteria

In this article, we will look at three short-chain fatty acids (and lactate), bacteria that produce them, and how they promote different aspects of our microbiome, as well as digestive, whole body, and mental health.

Acetate

Acetate helps to keep your gut environment stable and nourishes other beneficial bacteria species in your colon.

Acetate accounts for the highest percentage of SCFAs produced by your gut bacteria. Therefore, the production of these compounds is integral to our overall health and wellbeing. It also highlights how the commensal bacteria, who regard your gut as home, live in harmony.

Main producers

Acetate is produced largely by Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, but Akkermansia muciniphila, Prevotella spp., and Ruminococcus spp. make it too.

For example, when you eat fibre, it passes through your GI tract to your gut where bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, turn it into acetate. This SCFA can then be used by members of the Firmicutes family to make another metabolite, butyrate, which is a vital source of energy for your gut cells.

But bacteria like Akkermansia muciniphila are not reliant on your fibre intake specifically. Instead, they love a good much on the mucins in your gut lining which they can then transform into acetate. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? All this is going on inside you and you had no idea!

Functions for the gut and body

Acetate is an important regulator in the pH of your gut. It helps to keep the environment stable. For example, it helps to keep the gut acidic enough for your beneficial microbes to thrive and survive, but deter the opportunistic ones from entering and sticking around.Research has shown that in infants who are breastfed or later fed with foods containing prebiotics, acetate inhibits the growth of many common pathogens (the ones which can make us unwell). The effect is also greater when the gut is more acidic too.

It also binds to receptors in the gut lining where it works to control appetite and regulate the storage of fat. These receptors have important roles in promoting the release of specific gut hormones, peptide YY and GLP-1, which regulate our appetite.


Receptors capture specific chemicals that induce a response in the body

 

When these hormones are released by cells in the small intestine, you no longer feel hungry. So, you are less inclined to snack and take on extra calories. Therefore, the acetate produced from the breakdown of fibre can even help protect you against unnecessary weight gain.

The acetate produced by bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, helps to nourish the butyrate-producing microbes in your gut, supporting the diversity of your beneficial microbes. Therefore, this SCFA helps other species to thrive and survive, a behaviour called cross-feeding.

Butyrate

butyrate is important for the health of our digestive system and for disease prevention, including neurological conditions.

This SCFA is produced less than the others, but research shows that it’s vital for your health. It’s great for combating inflammation which is a growing problem nowadays because it damages the body and increases the risk of several chronic diseases.

In fact, increasing your intake of prebiotic dietary fibres is an easy way to increase butyrate production in your gut, and may just counteract gut dysbiosis (imbalances in your microbiome) that is linked to many diseases, digestive problems, and even brain health. Cool stuff, right?

Main producers

Members of the Firmicutes family are known for making this SCFA. The main producers of butyrate are anaerobic bacteria like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Eubacterium rectale, and Roseburia spp.*.

Anaerobic bacteria are types which survive in areas where no oxygen is present. Hence why, in humans, they are often found along the gastrointestinal tract, and why it was impossible to grow them in Petri dishes because they can’t survive in oxygen-rich environments.

Functions for the gut and body

Butyrate has many functions in both the gut and the body. One of its principal roles is a main energy source for the cells lining the gut called “colonocytes”. In fact, butyrate provides up to 90% of its total energy requirements.

These cells need this SCFA so they can carry out their important functions, especially preserving the integrity of the gut lining. Your gut lining is super important because it acts as a barrier between your intestinal environment and the rest of your body.

When the lining is working effectively, it allows beneficial things like vitamins and minerals to enter the bloodstream and make their way to various parts of the body that need them. At the same time, it stops opportunistic pathogens, toxins, and food components getting into your blood and making you ill.The barrier is made up of tight junction proteins which control the opening and closing of the lining. But if these junctions are unable to close, it can cause a phenomenon called leaky gut. But by having a greater abundance of butyrate producers, you will have an increased production of this SCFA which in turn means you’ll be protected from leaky gut.

Another great thing about this product of fibre breakdown is that it has antioxidant and anticancer properties. And it has a pretty cool way of doing it, too: it causes rogue cells to kill themselves and prevent cancer from developing.

But for you to experience the benefits of butyrate, there’s something you need to do: eat more fibre. A diet which is low in whole plant foods means you have less protection against a leaky gut and other diseases, including cancer.

Role in mental health

butyrate is a multifunctional molecule because it is not only beneficial for gut health, it’s great for the brain too. Eating a diet which is high in fibre is known to have positive effects for our memory, cognition, and nervous system.

butyrate works via the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication system between the two organs. It targets many of the same pathways associated with brain-related conditions and is thought to have many neuroprotective effects.

Therefore, if you eat a high fibre diet, you can boost the activity of butyrate-producing bacteria. This could help defend against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but also mental health disorders and autism.

9 Health Benefits Of Butyrate For Your Body And Gut

Propionate

Although it’s less studied than other SCFAs, propionate has some distinct health benefits which show it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Like all the other SCFAs we’ve mentioned, propionate is another product of the bacterial breakdown of dietary fibre. It has many health benefits.

Main producers

Propionate forms when carbohydrates are broken down by bacteria, including those from the Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Lachnospiraceae phyla. However, the main bacterial producers in your gut are Bacteroides eggerthii, Bacteroides fragilis, and Veillonella parvula.

Interestingly, there are two species of Lachnospiraceae which can produce either butyrate or propionate when they are fed on different substrates like glucose or lactate.

Functions for the gut and body

Propionate is a health-promoting SCFA which has cholesterol-lowering, reduced fat storage, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s a product of bacterial fermentation in your large intestine.

As more and more people worldwide are diagnosed with obesity, propionate is getting increasing attention for its potential role in suppressing appetite. Just like acetate, propionate also stimulates the release of the hormone’s peptide YY and GLP-1 which tell us when we feel satisfied after food.In one study, when participants were administered propionate, the levels of these appetite hormones reduced energy intake by 14% at a buffet meal. And, in another study, weight gain was reduced by almost a quarter in overweight adults over a 24-week period where the participants were supplemented with propionate.

Firewood for the winter
SCFAs provide fuel for the body’s functions and other bacteria too

Propionate produced in your gut also has anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body. That means it can protect you from various diseases, including atherosclerosis, a condition where fatty plaques stick to your artery walls. If these are left undetected, they can cause blockages in the blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Just like butyrate , propionate is also believed to have a protective role against colon cancer. Although the latter is more successful because it provides energy to the cells lining the colon, propionate is still promising.

Studies have shown that it is also able to make cancerous cells commit suicide, in effect, preventing cancer from developing. Therefore, alongside butyrate , it is regarded as a potent SCFA. If you were a cancer cell, you probably wouldn’t want to mess with it!

Lactate

Lactate is not technically a short-chain fatty acid, but it’s produced by gut bacteria and makes valuable contributions to the health of your colon.

Like SCFAs, lactate is a microbial metabolite. In other words, some of the bacteria residing in your gut produce lactate alongside other SCFAs through the breakdown of carbs. It helps to promote the health of your gut, and the bacteria which produces it can protect you from the disease.

Main producers

The main producers of lactate are lactic acid bacteria or lactobacillus. Rather helpfully, the clue is in the name. Lactic acid bacteria have been used for centuries to ferment foods, a process that also preserves them.

Today, many foods are made with the help of Lactobacillus, and these bacteria are known for their ability to benefit our health. You’re probably familiar with the yoghurts, milk, cheese, and kefir products on the supermarket shelves.

Lactobacillus itself is an important member of your gut microbiome because it helps to protect you from harm. It even releases substances to prevent pathogens from setting up camp in your gut.

Functions for the gut and body

Just like acetate, lactate can also be used by certain bacterial species to produce butyrate. So, by keeping your Lactobacillus abundance up, it can increase the production of lactate. Ergo, you will be indirectly helping maintain the integrity of your gut lining, and even reduce inflammation by nourishing your butyrate-producers.

It also has beneficial roles in your immune system. For example, it can act as a mediator for both the production of both pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In the gut, lactate helps to reduce inflammation.It does this by lowering the amount of damage to the cells lining the gut, suppressing the release of pro-inflammatory substances like IL-6, and minimising the signs of inflammation itself. And to think this has only been discovered in recent years is pretty interesting.

Exercise is also known to increase the abundance of lactic acid bacteria. These microbes attach to the lining of the gut which is why they have important roles in intestinal immunity and exclusion of opportunistic pathogens.

Role in mental health

Your gut and brain are linked via millions of nerves and nerve cells which pass signals to-and-fro. Hence, your gut microbiome can have a major influence over your central nervous system and the signalling pathways in your brain.

Research shows that some bacteria responsible for producing lactate can improve brain function. They also contribute to less symptoms of depression. Increasing your intake of fibre can have many positive benefits for your mood and brain health.

Remember this

Short-chain fatty acids are the primary products of the breakdown of non-digestible carbohydrates by gut bacteria. Collectively, they are a major source of energy for colon cells, and we can increase the production of these health-promoting compounds by increasing our consumption of fibre.

Acetate, butyrate, and propionate are the main SCFAs produced through bacterial fermentation. However, lactate, although not officially a type of SCFA, it is a product of the carbohydrate breakdown by lactic acid bacteria, and it has numerous health benefits.

butyrate and propionate are especially regarded for their health-promoting benefits. For example, butyrateis well known for its anti-cancer properties, while propionate helps us to feel full after eating and lowers cholesterol.

The great thing is, it’s super easy to increase the production of these health-promoting metabolites. You just need to cram in the fibre. The Western diet is traditionally low in plant-based foods, and yet your body is crying out for them.

Instead, most of us choose convenience foods which have little nutritional value. But by ensuring we add dietary fibre to each meal, we will be nourishing our gut bacteria and they’ll love you for it. As a show of appreciation their number will grow and their production of SCFAs will increase.

☝TIP☝You can check your gut bacteria and butyrate synthesis potential with the Atlas Microbiome Test. Get 10% when you subscribe to blog updates.

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