Hi Friends,
Having a robust and diverse variety of healthy bacteria in our gut microbiome is so important for our overall health. This is because our microbiome is responsible for creating something vitally important called POSTBIOTICS.
The bacteria in our gut microbiome “digest” and “ferment” the fiber (PREBIOTICS) present in our food, and turn them into POSTBIOTICS. One of the most important postbiotics is called Butyrate. Butyrate is a superstar postbiotic because it is the fuel that feeds the cells lining your colon. Just like Glutamine feeds the cells lining your small intestine, Butyrate is what keeps your colon cells healthy and happy. Research shows that Butyrate has the following beneficial impacts on our health:
1) Improves metabolism and insulin-sensitivity
2) Promotes a healthy intestinal mucosal barrier (prevents Leaky Gut)
3) Promotes healthy colon motility (helpful for those with constipation)
4) Prevents colon cancer
5) Anti-Inflammatory effects in the colon (helpful in treating gut inflammation, Leaky Gut, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
A recent meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry is even showing a link between Butyrate and our mood due to the Gut-Brain Axis. Having less Butyrate-producing bacteria has been linked to depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety!
To cultivate a healthy gut microbiome, we have to promote the growth of healthy bacteria by eating the right types of foods! This means eating a lot of vegetables🥦 to get prebiotic fiber. You can also supplement with a high-quality Prebiotic Fiber to help feed the right bacteria. By taking a broad-spectrum probiotic daily, like our Probiotic 100 billion or Probiotic 225 billion, and eating a lot of fiber, your gut bacteria will naturally produce more Butyrate.
You can also supplement with Butyrate! I have seen great improvement in my patients suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), constipation, and Leaky Gut with Butyrate supplementation. Although foods like butter and ghee are rich sources of Butyrate, many people are dairy-sensitive and are watching their cholesterol, so it is hard to rely on these food sources alone.
As Hippocrates once said, “All Disease Begins in the Gut.” Having a healthy gut microbiome is the key to achieving optimal health and vitality!
Don’t miss my Healthy Recipe of the Week below!
Warm regards,
Rajsree Nambudripad, MD
Dr. Rajsree is a caring and compassionate physician, who is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Integrative/Holistic medicine. She is passionate about helping patients optimize their health through a preventative approach involving healthy lifestyle, dietary changes, targeted nutritional supplementation, and optimizing hormones. Her practice is unique in the personalized attention she devotes to each and every patient.