Recent studies may bring hope for individuals suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
IBS is a common, non-life-threatening intestinal issue that affects over 30 million Americans. Symptoms can include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and changes in bowel habits. While IBS is a chronic condition, many people can manage their symptoms through diet, lifestyle adjustments, and stress management. In recent years, researchers worldwide have begun investigating whether butyrate can be used in the treatment of IBS.
10% of the Population
IBS is a general term for various intestinal disorders. Symptoms include abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea. Researchers estimate that about one in ten people experience IBS symptoms. Both adults and children can suffer from this condition, but women are more affected.
Despite the high number of sufferers, medical researchers know little about its causes. Some believe that individuals with IBS have difficulty metabolizing certain types of carbohydrates, leading to the recommendation of the FODMAP diet.
The FODMAP diet involves reducing foods that contain fermentable carbohydrates. This approach has helped reduce IBS symptoms for some, but it doesn’t work for everyone.
Increasing Butyrate Levels
Studies have shown that patients with IBS have lower levels of gut bacteria that produce butyrate, a fatty acid generated by various bacteria when they metabolize certain dietary fibers. Since higher concentrations of butyrate in the gut are considered beneficial, the lack of butyrate-producing bacteria may contribute to IBS.
Butyrate can help reduce inflammation and enhance gut bacterial function. Intestines with weakened bacterial function are more susceptible to the entry of toxic substances that can be absorbed through the intestinal mucosa and further into the body. This can irritate and inflame the intestines, a common issue for IBS patients.
Alleviating Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Most scientific research on the benefits of butyrate primarily focuses on the gastrointestinal tract, where it seems to have the most significant effects. This is understandable, as butyrate is mainly derived from food and fermentation in the gut microbiome. Studies have shown that butyrate can have positive effects on patients with functional and inflammatory bowel disorders.
Functional bowel disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), can be characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, among others. Although clinical studies are limited, some have indicated that butyrate supplementation can lead to statistically significant reductions in abdominal pain and improvements in bowel regularity for IBS patients. The exact mechanism supporting these effects is not fully understood. However, the presence of butyrate in the gut may inhibit the growth of “bad bacteria” that negatively impact function and can cause infections, which may explain the symptom reduction. Butyrate may also affect water absorption in the gut, which is important for patients experiencing diarrhea.
While there is a lack of clinical studies exploring the benefits of butyrate for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, in vitro studies suggest that it may have significant effects on the inflammatory aspects of the immune response and potentially reduce inflammation. Additionally, researchers have found that exposure of intestinal cells to butyrate leads to increased levels of glutathione (GSH), a potent antioxidant, and decreased levels of reactive oxygen species, indicating that butyrate supplementation may help limit oxidative damage in intestinal inflammation.
Prevention and Management of Colorectal Cancer
Ένα από τα πιο συναρπαστικά πιθανά οφέλη του βουτυρικού οξέος είναι η ικανότητα πρόληψης ή ακόμη και θεραπείας του 
One of the most exciting potential benefits of butyrate is its ability to prevent or even treat colorectal cancer. While there is currently no clinical evidence, biochemically, the results are clear: butyrate can inhibit the growth and proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. This occurs mainly due to the well-known Warburg effect, which describes the tendency of cancer cells to produce energy almost entirely through anaerobic processes like fermentation, even in the presence of oxygen. Normal cells do not do this because anaerobic metabolism is less energy-efficient. The use of fermentation as a method for primary energy production leads to unusually high levels of butyrate. In turn, elevated butyrate levels enhance the gene-regulatory activities within the cell, prompting colorectal cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, or controlled cell death.
