Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health Butyrate — The Metabolic Powerhouse Fueling the Gut and Beyond
Dec 23, 2025
Explore the transformative power of butyrate in gut health! Discover how it enhances metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and helps maintain a balanced microbiome. Learn about the link between dietary choices, like fermentable fibers, and butyrate production. Understand the implications of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and its treatment strategies. Tune in for practical tips on foods to boost butyrate, and find out how lifestyle factors impact gut health. Plus, get ready to assess your gut status!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Butyrate’s Systemic Metabolic Role
- Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid linked to better weight, lipids, insulin sensitivity, and steady blood sugar.
- It acts via histone deacetylase inhibition and activating free fatty acid receptors across many tissues.
Colon Cells Prefer Butyrate
- Colonocytes prefer butyrate and derive roughly 70–80% of their energy from its oxidation into acetyl-CoA.
- Efficient butyrate use lowers colonic oxygen, favoring beneficial anaerobes and stable SCFA production.
Butyrate Strengthens The Gut Barrier
- Butyrate strengthens the gut barrier by upregulating tight-junction proteins and activating AMPK.
- This reduces permeability and lowers gut-driven inflammation and immune activation.