Butyrate production
Butyrate is used as an energy source by intestinal epithelial cells, but it also serves numerous other functions, such as improving gut barrier function, scavenging ammonia, regulating the immune system, reducing oxidative stress, balancing blood glucose levels, and much more.
Butyrate production is most commonly associated with fiber fermentation. However, butyrate formation can occur through fermentation of amino acids such as glutamate, lysine, histidine, cysteine, serine, and alanine.
Amino acid fermentation typically occurs in less acidic conditions, and while it may result in some SCFA formation, it can also form potentially damaging metabolites such as phenols and ammonia. Gut pH also directly impacts butyrate production. Mildly acidic environments stunt the growth of Bacteroides, but not Firmicutes or Actinobacteria. This has the effect of limiting propionate formation and boosting butyrate formation, particularly at pH of 5.5, compared to a more neutral pH of 6.5-6.8.
Lactobacillus species may indirectly boost butyrate production by increasing the acidity of the gut.
A healthy carbohydrate diet (HCD) rich in cereal fibre, arabinoxylan, and resistant starch enhances Bifidobacteria and butyrate production, while diets high in refined grains can decrease the production of butyrate. Reducing sugar intake is recommended to increase butyrate production, as it is a signaling molecule for blood sugar control. Studies show that high-fat and high-sodium diets reduce butyrate concentrations. Lower fat, high carbohydrate diets, with plenty of resistant starch, boosts butyrate production and enhances abundance of Faecalibacterium and Blautia.
Eubacterium spp., Roseburia spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Clostridium cluster XIVa and IV, are primary producers of butyrate.36 Roseburia inulinivorans and Coprococcus catus, switch between butyrate and propionate production depending on the fermentation substrates. It is also worth noting that F. prausnitzii can convert acetate into butyrate, which may contribute to its anti-inflammatory reputation.
What does it mean if your Butyrate production result is too high?
High levels of butyrate production on a gastrointestinal (GI) test can indicate increased activity of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) with several health benefits, including maintaining gut barrier integrity, suppressing inflammation, boosting the immune system, reducing appetite, and maintaining blood sugar levels. However, excessively high butyrate production might have some implications:
Potential Implications of High Butyrate Levels
- Altered Gut Microbiota: An overabundance of butyrate-producing bacteria could indicate an imbalance in the gut microbiota, potentially affecting the diversity and function of other microbial communities.
- Digestive Issues: While butyrate is generally beneficial, excessive levels might contribute to digestive discomfort or other gastrointestinal symptoms, although this is less commonly reported compared to insufficient levels.
Managing High Butyrate Levels
- Dietary Adjustments:
- Consider moderating the intake of high-fiber foods that promote butyrate production if levels are excessively high. Balance is key to maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
- Ensure a varied diet to support a diverse range of gut bacteria, not just butyrate producers.
- Monitoring and Consultation:
- Regular monitoring of gut health through GI tests can help track changes in butyrate levels.
- Consulting with a healthcare professional or nutritionist can provide personalized advice based on specific test results and health conditions.
Overall, while butyrate is a beneficial SCFA, maintaining its production within a healthy range is important for optimal gut health and function.
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
What does it mean if your Butyrate production result is too low?
Butyrate is used as an energy source by intestinal epithelial cells, but it also serves numerous other functions, such as improving gut barrier function, scavenging ammonia, regulating the immune system, reducing oxidative stress, balancing blood glucose levels, and much more.
Butyrate production is most commonly associated with fiber fermentation. However, butyrate formation can occur through fermentation of amino acids such as glutamate, lysine, histidine, cysteine, serine, and alanine.
Amino acid fermentation typically occurs in less acidic conditions, and while it may result in some SCFA formation, it can also form potentially damaging metabolites such as phenols and ammonia. Gut pH also directly impacts butyrate production. Mildly acidic environments stunt the growth of Bacteroides, but not Firmicutes or Actinobacteria. This has the effect of limiting propionate formation and boosting butyrate formation, particularly at pH of 5.5, compared to a more neutral pH of 6.5-6.8.
Lactobacillus species may indirectly boost butyrate production by increasing the acidity of the gut.
A healthy carbohydrate diet (HCD) rich in cereal fibre, arabinoxylan, and resistant starch enhances Bifidobacteria and butyrate production, while diets high in refined grains can decrease the production of butyrate. Reducing sugar intake is recommended to increase butyrate production, as it is a signaling molecule for blood sugar control. Studies show that high-fat and high-sodium diets reduce butyrate concentrations. Lower fat, high carbohydrate diets, with plenty of resistant starch, boosts butyrate production and enhances abundance of Faecalibacterium and Blautia.
Eubacterium spp., Roseburia spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Clostridium cluster XIVa and IV, are primary producers of butyrate.36 Roseburia inulinivorans and Coprococcus catus, switch between butyrate and propionate production depending on the fermentation substrates. It is also worth noting that F. prausnitzii can convert acetate into butyrate, which may contribute to its anti-inflammatory reputation.
Laboratories
Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place
We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced Plan
Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
$250/ once
Unlimited Account
Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 10 reports entered for you
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$45/ month
Pro Monthly
Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track lab results for multiple clients
- Customize reference ranges per client
- Export lab histories and reports
- Begin with first report entered by us
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
About membership
What's included in a Healthmatters membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
Frequently asked questions
Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
- Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
- Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
- Upload lab reports from any lab
- View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
- Track trends and monitor changes over time
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export and share your full lab history
- Access your results anytime, from any device
Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 10000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
- The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
- GI-MAP,
- The NutrEval FMV®,
- The ION Profile,
- Amino Acids Profile,
- Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
- Organic Acids Test,
- Organix Comprehensive Profile,
- Toxic Metals,
- Complete Blood Count (CBC),
- Metabolic panel,
- Thyroid panel,
- Lipid Panel,
- Urinalysis,
- And many, many more.
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.