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Good gut health can be complex, but if you have the knowledge to unlock it, your gut will thrive, and, in turn, you will thrive, too. We hope to share some valuable information with you in today's article.
You may already know fibre is essential for good gut health, but have you heard of butyrate?
So, what is butyrate exactly?
Butyrate is necessary to help reduce bloating and gas, support metabolic health and improve regularity. It also plays a role in cellular detoxification.
Butyrate is a byproduct created naturally in our body from the bacterial fermentation of colonocytes. It is also considered a postbiotic, a nonliving organism created during fermentation in the gut. Postbiotics contain certain nutrients, such as B vitamins and vitamin K, and substances that slow down the growth of harmful bacteria.
Colonocytes prefer butyrate as their energy source, a microbial-derived metabolite.
A colonocyte is a group of epithelial cells in the colon that are mostly made up of bacteria and a complex mixture of compounds.
Animal models have shown that optimal butyrate levels improve gastrointestinal health. Butyrate supports healthy colonocyte function, decreases inflammation, helps maintain the gut barrier, heals a leaky gut, and promotes a healthy gut microbiome.
In clinical applications, butyrate has shown protective benefits, such as protecting against bowel disease and colon cancer.
On the other hand, people with low levels of butyrate may have compromised health and an increase in gastrointestinal disease and colon cancer.
This is why it is vital to ensure that you eat foods supporting butyrate production.
Which Foods Support Butyrate Production?
There is a misconception that butter and cheese contain butyrate. They do not. However, they encourage butyrate production, so maybe that is where these "health influencers" are getting their wires crossed.
Other foods that can help you to improve butyrate levels for better gut health are:
- Cooked and cooled potatoes*
- Cooked and cooled rice*
- Cold-soaked overnight oats*
- Legumes*
- Green bananas/green banana starch*
- Wholegrains*
- Prebiotic fibres* (green banana starch and baobab are fantastic sources). FYI: Zesti™ gut daily greens contain green banana starch and other essential gut-loving fibres)
*Choose organic to avoid toxic agricultural chemicals such as glyphosate, which can disrupt gut health.
The Benefits of Green Banana Starch
A study done in England on 1,000 people found that those who consumed resistant starch (the equivalent amount of eating one green banana daily) for some time had a significant improvement in their overall well-being.
The study showed that consuming resistant starch (such as from green bananas or a product containing green banana starch) reduced the incidence of cancers in other body parts by more than half. Although resistant starch consumption had little effect on current cancers in the bowel, it could be consumed as a preventative strategy.
Cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract (including oesophageal, gastric, biliary tract, pancreatic, and duodenal) seemed to respond positively to resistant starch consumption.
A professor from Newcastle University UK (where the study was led), named John Mathers, stated, "We found that resistant starch reduces a range of cancers by over 60%. The effect was most obvious in the upper part of the gut."
As you have learned, resistant starch helps to support and encourage butyrate production, which helps to keep the gut and colon healthy and happy.
The Bottom Line
The fibres mentioned above are essential to gut (and hormone) health. Fibre helps clean the gut, feed beneficial microbes, remove excess hormones, and improve glucose metabolism.
While carnivore diets are trendy right now, this diet lacks the vital fibre and nutrients our bodies need for good health.
The key to good health is a healthy balance of animal protein, fat, and plant matter with fibre and antioxidants.
Two Fibre Products We Recommend for Good Gut Health and Butyrate Production:
Note: Zesti™ Daily Gut Immune Greens would be our pick as it contains not just beneficial fibre but also probiotics (shelf-stable) and many other beneficial ingredients to support gut and overall wellness.
Resources:
https://www.euronews.com/health/2022/08/16/starch-in-green-bananas-can-slash-risk-of-some-cancers-by-over-60-study-finds
https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/217/2/133/501025
https://www.forbes.com/health/supplements/prebiotics-probiotics-postbiotics/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36502573/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257631/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41110-018-0061-6
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aat9076#:~:text=Healthy%20colonocytes%20maintain%20anaerobic%20conditions,acids%20beneficial%20to%20the%20host.
Disclaimer: These are only potential benefits. This article is purely intended for informational purposes and not as advice. One must seek proper professional advice from their trusted health practitioner.
