Articles

Evidence based

Evidence Based

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

The Benefits of Butyrate Foods on Gut Health

Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on June 3, 2025

Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on June 3, 2025 — Reviewed by Kellie Blake

• What Is Butyrate?|
• Butyrate-Rich Foods|
• More vs. Less Butyrate|
• Butyrate Foods and Symptoms|
• What Works|
• Probiotics|

High-butyrate foods (such as butter coffee) and butyrate supplements have become popular in functional and integrative medicine circles. It’s thought that increasing butyrate in the gut can boost gut health. 

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria when they eat (ferment) certain dietary fibers and starches. To increase butyrate levels in your gut, you can eat foods that already contain butyrate or are high in fiber or resistant starch. 

Although butyrate offers clear health benefits, its role in gut health is more complex than it first appears—especially when individual sensitivities and broader metabolic factors come into play.

In this article, we’ll investigate whether you should be seeking out high-butyrate foods for gut health.

What Is Butyrate and Why Is It Important?

Butyrate (aka butyric acid) belongs to a family of fats known as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). When bacteria in the large intestine break down food components—fibers and resistant starches—that evade digestion in the small intestine, they produce butyrate. 

With the help of the other main SCFAs—acetate and propionate—butyrate nourishes cells called colonocytes that line the inside of the colon 1. Keeping these colonocytes healthy is key to maintaining a strong intestinal barrier. 

When the gut barrier works properly, it prevents undigested food particles from leaking into the bloodstream and triggering inflammation. However, when the barrier loses its integrity and intestinal permeability increases—also known as a leaky gut—food sensitivities and other symptoms can develop. 

So, why should we care about butyrate? Animal and human studies suggest that having enough butyrate in the gut may improve digestive health by not only supporting the function of colonocytes, but also by reducing inflammation, strengthening the gut barrier, and promoting a healthy gut microbiome 2.

Foods That Can Boost Butyrate

If you’re looking to increase butyrate levels in your gut, your diet is probably the best place to start. Although some foods actually contain butyrate, your gut bacteria likely make the bulk of it by fermenting certain fibers and starches. 

Here’s a breakdown of the top dietary sources of butyrate and how you can support your body’s natural production of this gut-friendly compound.

Butyrate-Rich Dairy: Natural Sources You Can Eat Today

Certain dairy products naturally contain butyrate, offering a direct source of this beneficial fatty acid. For example, per 100 grams 3:

• Butter contains about 3 grams of butyrate.
• Goat cheese contains 1.0–1.8 grams of butyrate. 
• Parmesan cheese contains about 1.5 grams of butyrate.
• Whole cow’s milk contains about 0.1 gram of butyrate.

These dairy foods are good natural sources of butyrate and can help increase it in your gut. But eating foods that are rich in fiber and resistant starch—both of which feed gut bacteria and help them make butyrate—may be an even better way to boost your levels.

Fiber-Rich Foods: Feeding Your Gut Bacteria to Boost Butyrate

Fiber plays a key role in the fermentation process that produces butyrate in the colon. These fiber-rich foods can support the gut bacteria involved:

• Whole grains: Oat bran, wheat bran, barley, and rye are excellent sources of butyrate-promoting fibers 4 5. Aim for at least ½ cup of cooked whole grains per day.
• Legumes: Beans, peas, and lentils are high in fiber and resistant starch (see below) 6 7. Include ½ to 1 cup daily.
• Fruits: Apples, bananas, and strawberries support butyrate production 7. Aim for at least two servings per day.
•  Vegetables: Onions, asparagus, and artichokes are rich in beneficial fibers 7. Get at least five servings daily.

These foods help feed your gut bacteria, which in turn helps your body make more butyrate.

Resistant Starches: The Hidden Carbs That Power Butyrate

Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that isn’t digested in the small intestine, allowing it to reach the colon and feed butyrate-producing bacteria. Good sources include 6 7:

• Green bananas: Unripe bananas are rich in resistant starch. Eat ½ to 1 banana daily.
• Legumes: Peas, beans, and lentils provide a high dose. Include ½ to 1 cup cooked daily.
• Cooked and cooled potatoes or rice: Chilling these after cooking increases resistant starch. Eat ½ to 1 cup per day.
• Oats: Cooked oats offer a moderate amount of resistant starch. Include at least ½ cup a few times a week.

Regularly eating these foods can help nourish your gut bacteria and support butyrate production to support gut health.

More Butyrate Isn’t Necessarily Better

So, how much butyrate do we actually need? It’s tempting to think more is always better, but that may not be the case. In some situations, elevated butyrate levels may signal gut issues like imbalanced gut bacteria or a leaky gut 8.

For many people, increasing butyrate by eating lots of fiber and resistant starch can support gut health. But for those with digestive problems like IBS, ramping up fiber too quickly can backfire—worsening symptoms like bloating and discomfort. These folks may be better off focusing on butyrate-rich dairy products (if tolerated) while they heal their gut issues. 

The Clinical Case for Butyrate Foods: Benefits, Limits, and Unknowns

Resistant starches are butyrate-promoting foods that are increasingly studied for their potential to support gut and metabolic health. Although they show promise for improving digestive function and managing chronic conditions like diabetes and kidney disease, their effects are not always consistent. This overview highlights what current research suggests about their benefits and limitations for gut health and beyond.

Possible Benefits of Butyrate Foods 

• May improve gut bacteria and metabolic health. Resistant starch shows promise for improving gut bacteria and metabolic health, with studies showing it may help regulate blood sugar and insulin 9 10 11. This could benefit people with diabetes, obesity, or related issues.
• May boost SCFAs. Resistant starch often boosts gut-friendly SCFAs and is safe for most people, whether they are healthy or have conditions like obesity or prediabetes 12.
• May relieve constipation. A type of resistant starch called RS-3 (formed after cooking and cooling foods) may be an effective and natural way to relieve constipation and support gut health 13.
• May lower inflammation. Resistant starch may help reduce certain inflammation markers (like TNF-α and IL-6) and boost antioxidant defenses, especially in people with health conditions 14.
• May support kidney health. Resistant starch may help reduce certain toxins and improve kidney health in people with chronic kidney disease, but it doesn’t seem to lower inflammation 15.

Possible Drawbacks of Butyrate Foods

• May not improve most IBS symptoms. Adding sugarcane bagasse, the fibrous dry pulp of sugarcane stalks, to a low FODMAP diet can improve bowel habits (like stool bulk and movement) in IBS patients, but it doesn’t boost symptom relief beyond what the diet alone already provides 16.
• May cause bloating in sensitive guts. A resistant starch called RS2 that occurs naturally in some raw and unprocessed foods is mostly safe and tolerable for IBS patients at moderate doses, though it can cause bloating 17.
• High butyrate is linked to poor metabolic health: Higher stool butyrate has been associated with obesity, high blood pressure, leaky gut, and metabolic issues, but whether one leads to the other is unclear 8. 

If Not Butyrate Foods, What Works for Gut Health?

If you struggle with gut symptoms like bloating, discomfort, or irregular bowel movements, chasing high-butyrate foods might not be the best place to start. For many people—especially those with IBS or other gut disorders—a more effective strategy involves removing irritating foods and adding beneficial gut bacteria first. 

Low FODMAP Diet

A low FODMAP diet, which limits certain fermentable carbs and fibers, can significantly ease symptoms and improve gut health for many people with IBS—even though it may reduce gut bacteria diversity and butyrate production 18 19. Clinical evidence from a meta-analysis of meta-analyses—a very powerful type of study—supports that this diet can improve stool consistency, frequency, gut discomfort, and quality of life in IBS patients 20.

In the clinic, we’ve found that eating a temporary low FODMAP diet along with probiotics can help rebuild a healthier gut that can eventually handle more fiber and support butyrate-producing bacteria. While on the diet, you can still eat a few dairy products that are high in butyrate—butter, goat cheese, and parmesan, as long as you tolerate them—to support your colon cells.

Probiotics

Though it’s not clear whether probiotics can consistently lead to higher gut butyrate levels, these supplements of beneficial bacteria are proven to reduce gut issues by:

• Helping to balance gut bacteria 21
• Fighting harmful bacteria 22 23
• Reducing gut inflammation 24
• Improving gut barrier function 25

If you’re considering butyrate supplements for gut issues, I recommend trying a well-formulated broad-spectrum probiotic supplement first.

Should You Boost Your Butyrate Food Intake?

Butyrate plays an important role in gut health by improving gut barrier function and reducing digestive symptoms. However, for people with sensitive guts, boosting butyrate with lots of fiber or resistant starch may not have the desired effect. 

Although butyrate helps maintain the gut lining and reduce inflammation, certain butyrate foods may not work well for those with compromised digestion. But don’t worry—you may still get butyrate from butter, feta, and parmesan. And once your gut heals, you can gradually reintroduce fibers and starches that support butyrate production.

My book, Healthy Gut, Healthy You, has a comprehensive step-by-step plan of how to turn poor gut health around. Or, for more individual gut health and support, request a consultation with an experienced practitioner at the Ruscio Institute for Functional Health.

The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations to help our clients and audience. If you’re interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you. The information on DrRuscio.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.