Photo by Anna Pelzer (Unsplash) Butyrate is so good for our digestive health!
We have come to believe that ‘food fads’ like plant-based diets and being a Vegan are derived from the assumption that ‘all disease starts in the gut’ (Hippocrates). So you may know already if you’re a gut health ‘enthusiast’ that Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), provides fuel for the cells of our gut lining and protects against certain diseases of the digestive tract, such as leaky gut and cancer.
So, what is Butyrate? It’s an Organic compound made by the natural fermentation process within the colon. You’ve heard of good and bad bacteria, well it’s produced by the body’s natural bacteria of the microbiome in our colon which is great news for gut health.
The best way to optimise butyrate production is to adopt a high-fibre diet.
A type of dietary fibre called Resistant Starch, has impressive health benefits. Interestingly, the way we actually prepare starch-containing foods affects their starch content. Cooking or heating these foods destroys most of the beneficial resistant starches. However, we can ‘recapture’ the resistant starch content of some foods by allowing them to cool after cooking.
Legumes (beans, peas, and soybeans), fruits, nuts, cereals, pulses and whole grains are a good source of dietary fibre. Research shows that by increasing the amount of specific foods that nourish the microbiome directly (prebiotics), we can optimise the ratio of bacteria to produce Butyrate.
Enhancing our microbiome through food is an effective and safe way to promote digestive health and Butyrate production.
So, to promote our digestive health, we should include in our diet high-fibre food which promotes the production of Butyrate:
Cooked and cooled Rice and Oatmeal
Cooked and cooled Potatoes
Barley, Oats, Rye, Bran, Whole grains
Mushrooms, Apples, Green Bananas, Citrus, Berries
Onions, Garlic
Did you also know? … Potato starch is the most condensed form of resistant starch available so try adding 1–2 tablespoons per day into yogurt or smoothies.
Bon appétit!
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