Necessity Of Butyrate

sm1693

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narouz said:
It turns out, butyrate has been around in the mammalian gut for so long that the lining of our large intestine has evolved to use it as its primary source of energy. It does more than just feed the bowel, however. It also has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. So much so, that investigators are using oral butyrate supplements and butyrate enemas to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. Some investigators are also suggesting that inflammatory bowel disorders may be caused or exacerbated by a deficiency of butyrate in the first place.

Butyrate, and other short-chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria**, has a remarkable effect on intestinal permeability. In tissue culture and live rats, short-chain fatty acids cause a large and rapid decrease in intestinal permeability. Butyrate, or dietary fiber, prevents the loss of intestinal permeability in rat models of ulcerative colitis. This shows that short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, play an important role in the maintenance of gut barrier integrity. Impaired gut barrier integrity is associated with many diseases, including fatty liver, heart failure and autoimmune diseases (thanks to Pedro Bastos for this information-- I'll be covering the topic in more detail later).

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2 ... er-of.html

Has anyone developed their own opinion about the possible necessity of butyrate to the gut?

I thought the above quote was really interesting because many other people on this forum are searching for serotonin reducing substances. I am keenly interested in serotonin reducing things as well and am personally testing many of these substances, but this doesn't seem like it is the complete answer.

It seems most logical that our gut issues (like many other nutrition problems) would stem from a deficiency or multiple deficiencies. If anyone has any insights or experiences, please share.
 

north

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"According to the latest science, the IBD microbiome also has an altered metabolic activity, with decreases in butyrate-producing bacteria and increases in sulfate-reducing strains noted in multiple studies and leads to a decreases in mucosal barrier function ("leaky gut") that leads to bacterial colonization directly on the surface of the intestinal epithelium, increased bacterial translocation, and stimulation of the immune system. "

"In their latest review, Nickerson et al. do yet go beyond the effects of MDX as the sole motor of the increase in IBD, citing similar and synergistic effects of other dietary additives, such as emulsifying agents or thickeners, which have also been found to have profound detrimental effects on intestinal homeostasis."

http://suppversity.blogspot.se/2015/04/ ... -mess.html
 

Amazoniac

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I think it's far more beneficial to get it from fermentation in the intestines than it would be to supplement.
By fermentation I don't mean bloating, just an unnoticeable process, maybe a little bit of gas until adjustment.
Using supplements, in my opinion, won't have the same effect because it will probably be absorbed too soon to have any benefits along the intestines. Also, the SCFA are the final by-product of a whole process that involves other steps, and if you cut it down by supplementing you probably miss the benefits of feeding many symbiotic microorganisms that are involved until that last step.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6286#p74989
 
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sm1693

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Amazoniac said:
I think it's far more beneficial to get it from fermentation in the intestines than it would be to supplement.

What's your opinion of butter?
 
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sm1693

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north said:
"In their latest review, Nickerson et al. do yet go beyond the effects of MDX as the sole motor of the increase in IBD, citing similar and synergistic effects of other dietary additives, such as emulsifying agents or thickeners, which have also been found to have profound detrimental effects on intestinal homeostasis."

http://suppversity.blogspot.se/2015/04/ ... -mess.html

Maltodextrin does appear quite horrible. I have little doubt that emulsifiers disturb the gut lining and I started an award-winning thread about it here: viewtopic.php?f=75&t=6118&hilit=emulsifiers

I am specifically interested in what foods/nutrients help maintain the gut lining at full strength. Not everyone has Crohn's, or colitis. I assume that there are people that consume maltodextrin and chemical emulsifiers that have good gut health. Perhaps they eat a lot of butter, etc...? Or perhaps they have low endotoxin from a high insoluble fiber intake...? Perhaps they are cyborgs sent from the future to destroy us...?
 

Amazoniac

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sm1693 said:
Amazoniac said:
I think it's far more beneficial to get it from fermentation in the intestines than it would be to supplement.

What's your opinion of butter?

If I'm not wrong, ideally most of our fat structure should be SaFA and MUFA. Short and Medium-chain cannot be used as structure, so they are used exclusively for energy. Our requirement for them is relatively low due to that; in excess they are notable for generating heat. They are easily obtained from tropical oils. Dietary SCFA won't have the effect that you are looking for because it won't reach far in the intestines. I would suggest consume the majority of it in your diet and supply fermentable carbohydrates to deliver throughout the intestines.
 
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sm1693

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Amazoniac said:
If I'm not wrong, ideally most of our fat structure should be SaFA and MUFA. Short and Medium-chain cannot be used as structure, so they are used exclusively for energy. Our requirement for them is relatively low due to that; in excess they are notable for generating heat. They are easily obtained from tropical oils. Dietary SCFA won't have the effect that you are looking for because it won't reach far in the intestines. I would suggest consume the majority of it in your diet and supply fermentable carbohydrates to deliver throughout the intestines.

What evidence have you seen to lead you to believe that orally consumed butyrate would not penetrate far enough into the intestines to protect against permeability?
 

Amazoniac

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sm1693 said:
Amazoniac said:
If I'm not wrong, ideally most of our fat structure should be SaFA and MUFA. Short and Medium-chain cannot be used as structure, so they are used exclusively for energy. Our requirement for them is relatively low due to that; in excess they are notable for generating heat. They are easily obtained from tropical oils. Dietary SCFA won't have the effect that you are looking for because it won't reach far in the intestines. I would suggest consume the majority of it in your diet and supply fermentable carbohydrates to deliver throughout the intestines.

What evidence have you seen to lead you to believe that orally consumed butyrate would not penetrate far enough into the intestines to protect against permeability?

Fats are mainly digested in the small intestines, which should be relatively sterile. To nourish the large intestine you have to rely on fermentation.
 

SaltGirl

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Maybe relevant, but regarding potatoes I remembered this comment:

I am the guy that started the Potato Revolution. I posted about it on every paleo and diet board I could find. I learned of the Potato Hack on Mark’s Daily Apple where people were (and still are) loving it.

Like many paleo-ites, I went low-carb, zero starch, and lost a ton of weight and reversed met-syn. After a few years, though, my metabolism was at a standstill and I still hadn’t lost all the weight I wanted to lose. When I heard about the potato hack, I though the same as you–any mono-food diet would be the same and almost didn’t try it.

Funny thing here. I’m a potato farmer and hadn’t eaten a potato in 3 years because they were evil carbs. I had a sack of potatoes and nothing to lose, so I gave it a shot. 14 days of 2-3 pounds of potatoes a day and I lost 10 pounds. Upon resumption of normal eating, I lost an additional 3 pounds over the next 2 weeks and kept at this new weight for several months. I told everyone I knew and got many people to try it. It worked well for almost everyone who gave it an honest try.

My body readily took to the new weight, which was the lowest I’d been since high school. I was ecstatic. I went back on my old paleo diet and soon noticed my metabolism was still a mess. I started eating more like what you and Danny Roddy suggest and soon had warm hands and felt really good, but alas gained back nearly all the weight I had lost. After eating ‘for heat’ for 3 months, I gave potatoes another try and again lost 10 pounds in 14 days.

Upon resumption of normal eating, this time I did something totally alien to the paleo corps…I included about 1 pound of potato a day in addition to only very simple staples like veggies, meat, fish, and cheese. The only sugar I was eating was from 2-3 servings of fruit a day. No ice cream, OJ, or sugar in my coffee. After a month or so, my weight was very stable. I started creeping up just a bit and stopped putting sour cream on my potatoes–only butter–that halted the weight creep up.

Eating in this manner, my hands were warm, I was full of energy, and I truly felt like my metabolism was on fire for the first time in 4 years since finding paleo. Now, 6 months later, I find I can eat more sugar, carbs, and overeat without weight gain. My weight is more stable now than it ever was on paleo.

At this point in my life, I don’t see myself using the ‘potato hack’ ever again, but if my weight does creep up to where I need to intervene, the ‘potato hack’ is where I’d turn first.
 

mujuro

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My bowel movements improved out of sight when I introduced frequent white potato consumption.
 
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sm1693

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mujuro said:
My bowel movements improved out of sight when I introduced frequent white potato consumption.

By this do you mean that they work as a laxative? Bowel movements more frequent? Easier? Reduced bacterial negative mood influence? Take the place of other fibers like carrots?

Gracias
 

tara

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Fiddlesticks, I was hoping to get an excuse to follow my cravings for butter. :lol:
I do eat some, but it's one of the few things I deliberately resist eating as much as I sometimes want, because I don't feel as though I benefit from a lot of it. It just tastes sooooo good sometimes. :)
 

Spokey

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"The butter was within a hundred miles of my frying pan." Is all the excuse I need.
 

tara

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Spokey said:
"The butter was within a hundred miles of my frying pan." Is all the excuse I need.
I have no qualms about frying my eggs in it, and putting it on potatoes or other veges when I eat them. It's the extra slice or five of pure butter I sometimes want to eat before I go to bed etc - better than chocolate - that I limit to just a little. :)
 
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sm1693

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tara said:
Fiddlesticks, I was hoping to get an excuse to follow my cravings for butter. :lol:
I do eat some, but it's one of the few things I deliberately resist eating as much as I sometimes want, because I don't feel as though I benefit from a lot of it. It just tastes sooooo good sometimes. :)

I have been a good test case here. I've avoided butter for at least the last 6 months trying to optimize my metabolism. I added it back 4 days ago at whatever amount I felt like eating, which was between 1 tsp-1 tbsp per meal. I was hoping to improve my digestion.

As I'd hoped, digestion has been massively improved. But the surprising factor was that I got a huge jump in energy. Like really high energy.

Of course, I am a male and don't give a damn about losing weight, buuuttt then again, check out this study. If it was done properly, it looks like an excellent portrayal of what dairy fat does to your midsection:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23320900

"no butter and low fat milk and seldom/never whipping cream was associated with a higher risk of developing central obesity"
 

tara

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I'm not currently limiting fat to reduce body fat. I'm interested in restoring strong metabolism and resolving health issues, whatever weight that leaves me at. I do eat some butter most days - varies depending on what else I'm eating, but probably usually 1tsp and 2 tbsp, sometimes more. I also sometimes just eat a random tsp of coconut oil when I feel like it, too, in addition to frying liver and meat in it.

I just think I can spot an association between eating more butter at supper and waking up in worse shape. However, that correlation does not establish causation. It could be that an increased craving for butter is a symptom from already being on a downward trend, which the butter does not reverse. Or that the craving is an indication that I've been accidentally skimping on sugar.

I could be tempted to try the experiment of just going with the cravings for a few days, but I suspect it would just lead me into a more fat burning and less sugar burning state. Or it might turn out to be self limiting if I remove the restriction. I seldom crave butter in the morning - then I want sugar first and protein second (though I generally get some fat with my protein).

At some stage I may try a lower fat experiment, too, but not keen at the moment, and still have other threads to pull.
 

tara

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I also sometimes add cream to things, too. Not everyday, but when I remember and feel like it.
 
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sm1693

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tara said:
I just think I can spot an association between eating more butter at supper and waking up in worse shape.

Pastured butter?
 

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