Xidrax® Butyrate: Gut Health Supplement

The capsules of butyrate are vegetarian, made from plant cellulose. The butyrate powder within is enterically coated. We want to make sure that butyrate survives exposure to stomach acid and gets to the colon, where it will be most effective in supporting gut cells. Here, an approach has been devised to tackle the challenge of butyrate delivery—coating with a vegetable fat, commonly called a medium-chain triglyceride. The reasoning behind this is that a significant part of the butyrate will be released only when lipase (fat digesting enzyme) is secreted in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

Diets like Paleo and Keto can be deficient in fiber and resistant starch, and therefore, low in butyrate if proper dietary guidelines are not followed. When a Paleo diet is properly followed, an individual should be consuming between 9-12 cups of phytonutrient and fiber-rich plant foods including, green plantains, green bananas, sunchokes, artichokes, cooked and cooled potatoes, etc. in order to produce ample levels of butyrate. The problems arise when individuals focus exclusively on animal protein and fat while neglecting these plant foods/fibers. 

Nine cups of vegetables contain roughly 72 grams of fiber. Remember, we must also consider the health of the individual's microbiome. This factor will also influence butyrate production. 

The ability for your body to synthesize butyrate depends on several factors. Dietary fiber and resistant starch intake are critical, but we also need a plethora of probiotic bacteria in the colon to ferment the fiber that we eat and synthesize it into butyrate, acetate, and propionate (other important SCFAs). The state of the microbiome, the impact of drugs, alcohol, etc. factors into each individual's ability to produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate.

Chronic overeating via processed, nutrient-void foods high in energy, fat and sugar is the norm amongst the majority of North Americans. This dietary regimen creates a situation where gut health is greatly compromised and therefore, butyrate production is greatly impaired. One cannot go wrong eating a nutrient-dense diet filled with high quality animal protein and colorful, fiber-rich foods. 

It is important to note that most studies on butyrate are done via butyrate supplementation. Regardless of whether you are making adequate butyrate in the gut, we don't think you can go wrong by supporting your body with a top-up of butyrate through supplementation. Butyrate supplementation has been shown to support a healthy gut inflammation response, improve gut integrity, regulate the immune system, stabilize mood, and improve the gut/brain axis.

You can! However, it is unlikely that you get enough butyrate from your food sources to be physiologically beneficial, making butyrate supplementation a better option for gaining significant health benefits. Butyrate can also be made in the gut by consuming resistant starch, which normally comes from the skins of legumes, or underripe bananas — not foods that are commonly consumed.

Ethanol is used to extract the phospholipids from the soy concentrate. The ethanol is then removed by vacuum distillation; however, there is a small amount that is left.

MCT oil in Butyrate is derived from palm, palm kernel and/or coconut oil.

No, butyrate is NOT bacteria but a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA). It’s made in the lower colon by probiotic bacteria and taken up by the colonocytes, the cells that line the colon. It then becomes an important food for those cells. A lack of good bacteria in the colon, due to antibiotic use for example, can lead to an insufficient supply of butyrate.

Yes, Xidrax Butyrate capsules are vegetarian, and the cellulose constituting the capsule is derived from the wood pulp of softwood trees, such as pine and spruce.

You can take butyrate any time of day. Some people find that taking butyrate before bed helps them have better digestion the following morning. Some people prefer to take butyrate in the morning to set them up for the day ahead. Experiment with what works best for you