Health Benefits of Butyrate for MS

Last Updated on November 26, 2023 by Cathy

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid. It’s produced when the good bacteria in the gut break down fiber. It also repairs the mucosal wall and cleanses the liver, gallbladder, and bile duct. Plus butyrate adds extra health benefits for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Butyrate helps to heal the gut lining which is great for people with a leaky gut. People with MS have a leaky gut. A leaky gut happens when the gut lining separates. This allows small food particles and toxins to pass through and into the bloodstream. 

There are many reasons why a leaky gut happens including:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Diabetes
• Infections such as yeast overgrowth 
• Excessive alcohol use
• Poor nutrition
• Stress

Plus, butyrate helps to improve insulin resistance and lower inflammation throughout the body. And, it helps people with food sensitivities. Unfortunately, people don’t get enough butyrate due to their diet. A diet high in processed foods and sugar lowers butyrate levels.

Symptoms of low butyrate levels:

• Bloating 
• Brain fog 
• Increased inflammation markers
• Insulin resistance 
• Leaky gut
• Unbalanced microbiome 

Fiber

You get butyrate when the good bacteria in your gut break down into fiber. Unfortunately, most people don’t eat enough foods that are high in fiber. The average is about 15 grams, it should be 28 to 30 grams of fiber each day. 

Fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. To learn more about which foods have the highest amounts of fiber, read Foods That Are Highest In Fiber.

Fiber also helps people with constipation which is a common symptom for people with MS. Your body doesn’t absorb fiber like carbohydrates, fats, or proteins. Instead, it passes through your stomach and then your intestines. Eventually out of your body through your colon.

There are two types of fiber:

• Soluble fiber which dissolves in water 
• Insoluble fiber which doesn’t dissolve in water 

Eating a high-fiber diet helps to maintain bowel health and lower your risk of colorectal cancer. Eating fiber works best when you drink plenty of water so it can absorb it. However, don’t start eating a larger amount of fiber immediately. It’s best to start slow and work your way up.

Free Radicals

Free radicals are waste products in the body and are connected with diseases such as MS. Antioxidants are your body’s defense against them. The large intestine and colon then store the waste. When your body has too many free radicals it overwhelms it, this is known as oxidative stress.

This increases your inflammation. Which leads to diseases such as autoimmune diseases, heart disease, and cancer. Eating a diet high in fiber increases your butyrate levels which increases glutathione. Glutathione is an antioxidant that reduces free radicals and oxidative stress.

Supports Brain Health

Butyrate improves your digestive system and supports the brain and nervous system. It targets pathways associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, and MS.

Eating a poor diet lowers your butyrate levels. Eating a healthy diet high in fiber increases butyrate protecting your brain. Researchers tested mice and found butyrate suppresses demyelination and enhances remyelination.

This is a critical factor for people with MS.

Besides the gut lining barrier, there is the brain-blood barrier. It protects the brain and central nervous system from pathogens. But like the gut lining, several factors can cross the blood-brain barrier. The gut microbiome interacts with the blood-brain barrier. Known as the gut-brain axis.

Factors leading to a leaky brain:

• Excessive alcohol use
• Gluten
• Head trauma 
• Infections
• Mold
• Oxidative stress
• Systemic inflammation 

A protein in gluten, called zonulin, crosses the leaky gut and blood-brain barrier. Zonulin levels increase inflammation, especially in people with MS. Butyrate helps maintain these tight junctions.

Resistance starch increases levels of butyrate. You can get resistance starch from bananas or plantains. You can buy banana flour or plantain flour and add them to your baking. However, since they affect your digestive system it’s best to start with a small amount such as one teaspoon.

Helps Prevent Colon Cancer

Colonocytes are cells that line the colon walls. Butyrate is the energy source for colonocytes. An imbalance of microbes in the colon leads to many diseases such as:

• Arthritis 
• Cardiovascular disease 
• Colitis 
• Colon cancer
• Diabetes
• Irritable bowel syndrome 
• Obesity
• Neurological diseases (MS)

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States. Researchers found butyrate has an anti-cancer effect. Butyrate acts on both mitochondrial and external cell death pathways. It causes the death of cancer cells. 

Colonocytes are only a single cell layer thick and live less than a week then they’re replaced with new ones. Because of this colon cleanses aren’t really necessary, your body already does the work for you.

What you do need to work on is eating enough high-fiber foods so you’ll have a daily bowel movement. Eating foods high in fiber adds butyrate. Which provides a healthy microbiome and cellular health. Slowly increase your fiber intake to avoid having to quickly run off to the bathroom.

Butyrate Supplements

You can get butyrate through supplements. Unfortunately, it has a really bad smell that stays on your fingers when you touch it. Instead pour the supplements into the cap then, using the cap, put them in your mouth. 

Health Benefits of Butyrate for MS

It’s important to eat a wide variety of foods including foods that are high in fiber and make it a lifelong habit. Include foods such as broccoli, cherries, cranberries, leafy greens, mangoes, and walnuts.

The more diverse your microbiome is the healthier you are.

Many people with MS are also constipated due to the lack of activity. Butyrate has an anti-inflammatory action that helps with constipation and diarrhea. Although, it is still important to get enough dietary fiber and drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Having a good balance of bacteria in your gut is vital for optimal health. A healthy diet, staying hydrated, exercising, and quality sleep are key to good health. 

Free Wellness Library!

Subscribe for free and I’ll send you the password to my secret library filled with many printables for your wellness journey.

Want to remember this health tip? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070119/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6296223/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intestinal_epithelium

https://www.cancer.gov/types/common-cancers

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566851/

https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-019-1552-y

Health Benefits of Butyrate for MS