Butyrate
Summary
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria from fibre. Small trials of microencapsulated sodium butyrate reported fewer bowel symptoms in IBS (grade C), and metabolic results are mixed: weight loss in one 12-week trial, but no between-group changes in others. Butyrate supplements also carry sodium.
Key facts
- A four-carbon short-chain fatty acid made in the colon when bacteria ferment unabsorbed carbohydrates[2]
- Butyric acid tastes and smells unpleasant, so supplements use sodium butyrate (often microencapsulated) or tributyrin[2][8]
- Microencapsulated sodium butyrate reduced some IBS symptoms in two small placebo-controlled trials[1][2]
- 1,875 mg/day helped weight loss in adults without diabetes; 4 g/day changed nothing measurable in type 1 diabetes[3][5]
- Sodium butyrate is about 21% sodium by weight: 4 g supplies roughly 840 mg sodium[9]
- 7 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 13, 2026
How it works
ProposedButyrate is the main energy source for colon-lining cells, and its use is impaired in ulcerative colitis. Oral butyrate raised faecal butyrate and propionate and shifted gut bacteria toward short-chain-fatty-acid producers in trials, but blood levels are limited by gut use and first-pass liver metabolism, and immune effects seen in mice did not appear in people with type 1 diabetes.[7][5][6][3]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBS | Grade C | Improved | RCT · n = 66 · 2013 | 2 rows |
| IBD | Grade D | Mixed | Pilot RCT · n = 49 · 2020 | 2 rows |
| Weight | Grade D | Mixed | RCT · n = 46 · 2026 | 1 row |
| Blood sugar | Grade D | No effect | RCT · n = 42 · 2022 | 1 row |
| Immune | Grade D | No effect | Crossover RCT · n = 30 · 2020 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms (add-on to standard therapy) | Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 66 · 2013 Adults with IBS on standard drug therapy for at least 3 months Form: Microencapsulated sodium butyrate · Dose: Not stated in the abstract · Duration: 12 weeks Pain during defaecation fell at 4 weeks and urgency and bowel habit improved at 12 weeks versus placebo; abdominal pain, flatulence and overall symptom severity did not change significantly. | 22738315 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| IBS symptoms and glucose control in type 2 diabetes | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 52 · 2026 Adults with type 2 diabetes meeting Rome IV criteria for IBS Form: Microencapsulated sodium butyrate · Dose: 1.5 g/day · Duration: 12 weeks The butyrate group reported less abdominal pain, diarrhoea and bloating and had lower weight, HbA1c and HOMA-IR, with fewer positive hydrogen breath tests; the placebo group did not change. | 41974937 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| Gut microbiota and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease | Mixed | Grade D | Pilot RCT · n = 49 · 2020 Adults with Crohn's disease (19) or ulcerative colitis (30) on conventional therapy Form: Microencapsulated sodium butyrate · Dose: Not stated in the abstract · Duration: 2 months Butyrate increased short-chain-fatty-acid-producing bacteria; quality of life improved in ulcerative colitis. The clinical impact was not established. | 32476236 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
| Weight loss and glucose control on a calorie-reduced diet | Mixed | Grade D | RCT · n = 46 · 2026 Adults aged 30–70 with overweight or obesity, half with type 2 diabetes Form: Sodium butyrate · Dose: 1,875 mg/day · Duration: 12 weeks Without diabetes, weight fell 7.0 kg versus 3.2 kg on placebo (P = 0.001). With diabetes, weight change did not differ, but triglycerides fell and time in tight glucose range rose by 9%. | 41880673 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Blood sugar, lipids and blood pressure in type 2 diabetes | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 42 · 2022 Adults with type 2 diabetes Form: Sodium butyrate · Dose: Not stated in the abstract · Duration: 6 weeks Blood pressure fell within the butyrate group, but no outcome differed significantly from placebo; total and LDL cholesterol rose from baseline in the butyrate group. | 35623879 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Immune and metabolic measures in long-standing type 1 diabetes | No effect | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 30 · 2020 Adults with long-standing type 1 diabetes Form: Sodium butyrate capsules · Dose: 4 g/day · Duration: 1 month per period Faecal butyrate and propionate changed, but innate and adaptive immunity, islet autoimmunity, glucose and lipid metabolism and beta-cell function did not. Butyrate was safe. | 31915895 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
| Ulcerative colitis activity (butyrate added to mesalazine) | No effect | Grade D | Pilot RCT · n = 25 · 2000 Adults with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis Form: pH-dependent coated sodium butyrate tablets · Dose: 4 g/day plus mesalazine 2.4 g/day · Duration: 6 weeks Both groups improved; the difference between butyrate plus mesalazine and mesalazine plus placebo was not significant overall. No untoward side effects. | 10795763 (opens PubMed)Source [7] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium butyrate (often microencapsulated or coated for colonic release) | 20.9%[9] | Serum butyrate rose with 1,875 mg/day, but systemic availability is limited by gut use and first-pass liver metabolism.[3] | 4 g/day for a month was safe in type 1 diabetes; no untoward side effects at 4 g/day with mesalazine.[5][7] | IBS, IBD, weight and diabetes (1.5–4 g/day) |
| Tributyrin (glycerol ester of butyrate) | Varies[10] | In a gut model, a tributyrin/caproin mix was cleaved rapidly in the stomach compartment.[8] | No human tolerance data for tributyrin alone on this page.[8] | Lab gut-model comparison only |
| Butyrate-enriched long-chain triglycerides (Akovita SCT) | Varies[8] | Released butyrate mainly in the small intestine; a 1,325 mg dose raised post-meal blood butyrate versus placebo.[8] | 650–2,000 mg single doses were well tolerated.[8] | Post-meal pharmacokinetics in men with overweight |
Compound weight → elemental active
500 mg sodium butyrate (often microencapsulated or coated for colonic release) ≈ 105 mg elemental active
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 1.5 g/day to 4 g/day of sodium butyrate for 4 to 12 weeks; several trials did not state the dose in their abstracts.[2][3][5][7]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
None found in our sources.
Who should be careful
- Sodium-restricted diets
- Sodium butyrate is about 21% sodium, so 1.5–4 g/day adds roughly 310–840 mg of sodium.[9]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
- Butyrate vs salt weightLabels may list sodium butyrate or butyrate; about 79% of sodium butyrate's weight is the butyrate part and 21% sodium.[9]
- Delivery formatGut trials used microencapsulated or pH-coated sodium butyrate designed to reach the colon; plain powders are a different product.[1][6][7]
- Label dose vs studied doseTrials that stated a dose used 1.5–4 g/day of sodium butyrate; many capsules contain far less per serving.[2][3][5][7]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
Compare any product you already have by the amount it delivers, not by capsule count or front-of-pack weight.
Cost per studied dose
Enter the price, servings and the amount per serving from your label.
Frequently asked questions
What is butyrate?
A short-chain fatty acid that gut bacteria make by fermenting fibre and other unabsorbed carbohydrates.[2]
Does butyrate help IBS?
Two small trials of microencapsulated sodium butyrate reported fewer symptoms such as pain during defaecation, urgency and bloating, but overall severity did not clearly improve in the first.[1][2]
Does butyrate help weight loss?
One 12-week trial found weight loss on 1,875 mg/day was about twice that on placebo (7.0 vs 3.2 kg) in adults without diabetes; it did not change weight in those with diabetes.[3]
What is the difference between sodium butyrate and tributyrin?
Sodium butyrate is a salt; tributyrin is three butyrate molecules attached to glycerol, released during digestion.[9][10][8]
Does butyrate supplement reach the bloodstream?
Some does: serum butyrate rose on 1,875 mg/day, but gut use and liver metabolism limit how much reaches the circulation.[3]
Sources
- [1]Microencapsulated sodium butyrate reduces the frequency of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.. Colorectal Dis, 2013. RCT
- [2]Effect of microencapsulated sodium butyrate on abdominal symptoms and carbohydrate metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.. Sci Rep, 2026. RCT
- [3]Targeting weight loss and blood glucose control with oral sodium butyrate in overweight/obese adults with and without type 2 diabetes: A proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial.. Clin Nutr, 2026. RCT
- [4]The effects of butyrate supplementation on glycemic control, lipid profile, blood pressure, nitric oxide level and glutathione peroxidase activity in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized triple -blind, placebo-controlled trial.. Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2022. RCT
- [5]Oral butyrate does not affect innate immunity and islet autoimmunity in individuals with longstanding type 1 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial.. Diabetologia, 2020. crossover-RCT
- [6]Microbiota changes induced by microencapsulated sodium butyrate in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.. Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2020. pilot-RCT
- [7]Combined oral sodium butyrate and mesalazine treatment compared to oral mesalazine alone in ulcerative colitis: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.. Dig Dis Sci, 2000. pilot-RCT
- [8]Butyrate and hexanoate-enriched triglycerides increase postprandrial systemic butyrate and hexanoate in men with overweight/obesity: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized crossover trial.. Front Nutr, 2022. crossover-RCT
- [9]Sodium butyrate (CID 5222465): compound summary. PubChem, NCBI, 2026. database
- [10]Tributyrin (CID 6050): compound summary. PubChem, NCBI, 2026. database
What changed
- Strict second-pass self-review (no separate reviewer could be dispatched for this batch): all 8 PMIDs re-verified by NCBI esummary (titles and years match the record) and efetch checked for retraction, expression-of-concern and erratum flags; PMID 41974937 carries a correction notice (PMID 42386868), read in PMC: author names only, results unaffected; every evidence row, key fact, form, dose, label line, FAQ and insight re-read against its abstract, and against PMC full text where the dose or count lives. Fixes: removed an unsourced daily-sodium-limit comparison; correction note clarified. Page set indexable.
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year from the record) and abstracts read for each cited row; the 2026 IBS trial's published correction (PMID 42386868) noted. Sodium fraction computed from the PubChem formula. No NIH ODS or NCCIH fact sheet covers butyrate.