This marker shows the percentage of n-Butyrate of the Total Short Chain Fatty Acids.
Fiber eaten in the diet may be broken down or simply passes through the intestinal tract. Some fibers that are not absorbed in the body are fermented and create short chain fatty acids (SCFA).
Butyrate is one of the short-chain fatty acids produced by the anaerobic bacteria that live in the intestines. It has several functions in the body:
- Provides up to 30% of the energy needed for the cells in the colon
- Prevents diarrhea
- Improves blood circulation in the colon
- Controls inflammation in the GI tract
- Helps the colon with barrier reinforcement and repair
- Provides an environment in the colon conducive to “good” bacteria to grow and reproduce, instead of “bad” bacteria (pathogens that cause disease)
- Reduces ammonia levels from the intestine
- Contributes to the reduction of colon cancer by inhibiting the formation of secondary bile acids and reducing DNA damage in the colon cells
- Protects the colon from developing ulcerative colitis
Normal Ranges for N-Butyrate (in %):
Optimal: > or = 7.8
Mildly Decreased: 4.4-7.7
Low: < or = 4.3
Sources:
Low levels of N-butyrate are associated with:
- Low dietary fiber intake
- Low consumption of pre- and probiotic foods in the diet (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria probiotics help the process of creating more SCFA.
- Use of antibiotics for long periods of time
- Deficiency of beneficial bacteria in the gut
- Low stomach acid
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This marker shows the percentage of n-Butyrate of the Total Short Chain Fatty Acids. If the total of SCFA is low, this percentage can be high even though the actual n-Butyrate concentration is still in the low range. Please look at the overall SCFA levels as that issue needs to be adressed.
High levels of N-butyrate are associated with:
- Malabsorption
- Rapid transit time of food through the intestinal tract
- Small bowel bacterial overgrowth
- Impaired transport of n-butyrate into cells
- Bacterial fermentation of blood in the colon
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Acetate, Akkermansia muciniphila, Anaerotruncus colihominis, Anaerotruncus colihominis/massiliensis, Ancylostoma/Necator (Hookworm), Ascaris lumbricoides, Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bacteroides-Prevotella group, Barnesiella spp., Beta-glucuronidase, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, Bifidobacterium spp., Blastocystis spp., Butyrivibrio crossotus, Calprotectin, Candida albicans/dubliniensis, Capillaria philippinensis, Cholesterol, Citrobacter species, Clostridium spp., Collinsella aerofaciens, Coprococcus eutactus, Cryptosporidium parvum/hominis, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Desulfovibrio piger, Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba histolytica, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobius vermicularis, Enterococcus faecalis, Eosinophil Protein X, Escherichia coli, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Fecal Color, Fecal Consistency, Fecal Fat, Total, Fecal Occult Blood, Fecal secretory IgA, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B Ratio), Fusobacterium spp., Giardia, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella species, Lactobacillus spp., Long-Chain Fatty Acids, Methanobrevibacter smithii, n-Butyrate %, n-Butyrate Concentration, Odoribacter spp., Oxalobacter formigenes, Pancreatic Elastase 1, Phocaeicola vulgatus, Phospholipids, Prevotella spp., Products of Protein Breakdown (Total), Propionate, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudoflavonifractor spp., Roseburia spp., Ruminococcus bromii, Ruminococcus spp., Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA), Total, Triglycerides, Veillonella spp., Zonulin Family Peptide
