How The Postbiotic Butyrate Helps Repair Leaky Gut
Everyone of us suffers from a leaky gut at sometime. However it is potentially the most dangerous condition associated with a poor diet and our western lifestyle. Leaky gut is the most common symptom of poor gut health and probably the least discussed by your doctor.
Imagine yourself with a tube running from your mouth to your anus. Called the GI tract (gastro intestinal) it is actually external to your body if you think about it.
The food and drink that we consume, the pathogens we ingest, all the good stuff and bad stuff all go into your GI tract. Sounds a little gross, all mixed up then flushed down with a coke, coffee, beer or glass of wine.
Facts:
Your gut wall is only one cell thin, yes one cell thin.
The area covered by the gut wall if stretched out, would be larger than a tennis court, yes a tennis court.
The cells in the gut wall die and need to be replaced every 3-4 days.
A Healthy gut wall absorbs nutrients and protects the body from harmful substances.
The gut wall contains immune cells that help protect the body.
The gut wall houses probiotic bacteria that help break down food and produce nutrients that keep the gut healthy.
Across the gut wall, all our digested food travels into your body's blood system to where it is needed.
Can you just imagine how impossible it must be to keep every square millimetre of that tennis court without a single chink no matter how small or if the cell joints become weak and over permeable. But if the gut wall is compromised no matter how small the hole or weakness, undigested food, pathogens and endotoxins will enter the blood stream and reek havoc..
If you suffer from any of the symptoms below its a good chance that your gut wall has been compromised and you have a leaky gut.
Addictions
Aching joints
ADHD
Alcoholism
Allergies
Anemia
Arthritis
Autoimmunity
Asthma
Back pain
Blood sugar instability
Celiac disease
Chronic fatigue
Crohn's disease
Cravings
Depression
Diabetes
Eczema
Failure to thrive
Fibromyalgia
Gluten sensitivity
Hay fever
Headaches
Hormone imbalance
Inflammation
Weak immunity
ME
Migraine
Bloating
Milk allergy
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Parasites
Reflux
Role of Butyrate in Leaky Gut
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced when gut bacteria ferment dietary fibre. It plays a vital role in maintaining gut health, particularly by supporting the integrity of your gut wall. Here's how butyrate can help with leaky gut:
1. Strengthening the Intestinal Barrier
Butyrate promotes the production of tight junction proteins that seal the spaces between intestinal cells, reducing gut permeability. This helps maintain the gut barrier's integrity.
2. Reducing Inflammation
It has anti-inflammatory properties that modulate the immune response. By inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, butyrate can reduce the inflammation often associated with leaky gut.
3. Nourishing Gut Lining Cells
Butyrate is the primary energy source for colonocytes (cells lining the colon). This nourishment helps these cells regenerate and maintain a healthy intestinal lining.
4. Balancing Gut Microbiota
By promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium), butyrate indirectly supports a healthier gut environment and reduces the risk of dysbiosis, a common factor in leaky gut.
There are between 40-60 billion of these two specific bacteria in every bottle of Tibico.
How to Support Butyrate Production
To enhance butyrate levels naturally:
Increase Fibre Intake: Foods rich in prebiotic fibre, such as oats, buckwheat, chia seeds, onions, avocado, inulin, garlic, unripe bananas, and legumes, feed the butyrate-producing bacteria.
Consume Resistant Starch: Found in foods like cooked and cooled potatoes, inulin, green bananas, and legumes, resistant starches are particularly effective in boosting butyrate production.
Probiotics: Specific probiotic strains, like certain Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, may help produce butyrate.
If you’re addressing leaky gut concerns, it’s also important to minimise triggers like alcohol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and ultra processed foods while focusing on a gut-friendly diet. It is is also important to increase your probiotic and dietary fibre intake when taking medication such as antibiotics.
MY FAVOURITE SMOOTHIE
My go to favourite most morning is a smoothie, rich for my gut health.
Buckwheat and chia seeds soaked overnight.
This dissolves the lectins which are harmful to the gut wall. Buckwheat is gluten free.
Half Avocado.
Plenty of fibre and good HDL fats.
Unripe banana.
Resistant starch.
Apple or pear of other fruit
A little natural sweetness, vitamins and polyphenols.
Quarter teaspoon of Celtic Sea Salt.
82 trace minerals.
2 heap spoonful's of inulin.
Chicory root, a resistant carbohydrate that your but bacteria love.
Liquidise with filtered water.
Preferably filter out chlorine and fluorides. Or stand overnight.
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