Butyric Acid; Is Well-Known to Support Digestive Health and Promote Overall Health

Butyric acid (or butanoic acid) belongs to a group of short-chain fatty acids and is thought to play several beneficial roles in the gastrointestinal tract. It is a fatty acid created when the good bacteria in the gut break down dietary fiber. Butyric acid is also found in vegetable oils and animal fats. However, the amount of butyric acid found in foods like ghee and butter is small compared to the amount that's made in the gut. It is well-known to support digestive health, lowers the risk of diseases, reduce inflammation, and promote overall health.

Moreover, butyric acid plays an important role in providing colon cells with the energy they need to perform their normal functions and also regulates cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The primary health benefits of butyric acid and other short-chain fatty acids are their ability to provide colon cells with energy. Butyric acid provides colon cells around 70% of their total energy needs. It is widely used to treat several gastrointestinal tract disorders because it has strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Butyric acid is widely used in the treatment and prevention of various digestive tract related diseases and disorders, such as dysbiosis, functional disturbances (irritable bowel syndrome), radiation-induced bowel inflammation), diverticulitis, inflammatory conditions (non-specific bowel inflammation, diarrhoea (specific and non-specific), diversion colitis, and post-surgery (resections, short bowel syndrome) or post-chemotherapy conditions. Thus, with the increasing prevalence of digestive tract related diseases, the demand for butyric acid is also increasing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diarrheal diseases account for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, making diarrhea the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five, especially in the United States. Acute diarrhea is one of the most commonly reported illnesses in the United States, second only to respiratory infections.