TREATMENT DATABASE

Butyrates (butanoic, or butyric acid) are short-chain saturated fatty acids found naturally in the human intestine and in butter fat. Short-chain fatty acids (volatile fatty acids) are produced in the colon as natural by-products of the bacterial fermentation of fiber. These fatty acids provide an energy source for the mucosal cells of the lining of the colon, enabling them to check the proliferation and establishment of pathogens (such as salmonella and Candida) and allowing greater absorption of magnesium and vitamin K. Deficiency of these fatty acids results in malabsorption, diarrhea, and, over the long term, colitis.

Of the three fatty acids found in all mammals – butyrate, acetate, and propionate – butyrate is the preferred energy substrate. It stimulates the normal proliferation of mucous cells, enabling greater efficiency of all colonic functions. Butyrates have been used successfully to treat Candida overgrowth (yeast infection), cancer, ulcerative colitis, and nonspecific inflammatory conditions of the colon. It is one of the treatments recommended for leaky gut and for alleviating food sensitivities.

USES IN ME/CFS: A significant number of people with ME/CFS suffer from gastrointestinal problems, predominantly irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and dysbiosis. Butyrates, because they provide a substrate for beneficial intestinal flora, can be used in conjunction with probiotics to help restore gut mucosa damaged by SIBO as well as maintaining gut motility.

Although butyrates are primarily recommended for treating digestive disorders, it may also have a positive effect on some neurological problems associated with ME/CFS. An imbalance in the actions of the neuroexcitatory chemical NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) and the neuroinhibitor GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) may lead to many of the troubling neurological symptoms experienced by patients (insomnia, intolerance of sensory stimuli, seizure-like activity, pain).

For many patients, down regulation of the NMDA receptors, accomplished with small doses of Klonopin (clonazepam), magnesium, Nimotop (nimodipine), melatonin, or calcium channel blockers, leads to general improvement of all symptoms. Butyrate, because it forms a component of GABA, may also rectify some of this neurochemical imbalance by increasing the amount of neuroinhibitory action in the brain.

Treatment rating for Butyric Acid