Butyrate and IBD
What 5 graded rows on butyrate agree on for IBD, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Butyrate page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Butyrate page, with its PubMed record.
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Butyrate and IBD
5 rows · 384 peopleSplit. 1 row found an improvement, 2 found no difference and 2 had mixed results.
- CGrade C× 2
- DGrade D× 3
- Rows
- 5
- Trials
- 5
- People
- 384
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a randomized trial of 140 people (2026) and reported mixed results.
The row that found an improvement was larger: 98 people, against a median of 49 people for the 2 rows that found no difference.
Only the 2 rows that found no difference name children or teens in their population.
The row that found an improvement is newer (2025) than the 2 rows that found no difference (2000 to 2022).
The best grade is C among the row that found an improvement, and D among the rows that found no difference.
2 rows with mixed results are left out of this comparison.
The rows
1 improved · 2 no difference · 2 mixed- DGrade DRemission in newly diagnosed childhood IBD (add-on to standard therapy) · No difference
RCT · n 72 · 2022 · Children and teens aged 6 to 18 with newly diagnosed colonic Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
150 mg twice daily · 12 weeks
Most patients in both groups reached remission; remission rate and disease activity did not differ between butyrate and placebo. No adverse events were reported.
- DGrade DUlcerative colitis activity (butyrate added to mesalazine) · No difference
Pilot RCT · n 25 · 2000 · Adults with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis
4 g/day plus mesalazine 2.4 g/day · 6 weeks
Both groups improved; the difference between butyrate plus mesalazine and mesalazine plus placebo was not significant overall. No untoward side effects.
- CGrade CRemission in mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (add-on to standard therapy) · Improved
RCT · n 98 · 2025 · Adults with active mild to moderate ulcerative colitis at several centres
600 mg/day (2 × 300 mg) · 8 weeks
In the butyrate group, 51% improved clinically, 31.4% reached clinical remission, 42.2% reached biochemical remission and 25.5% improved on endoscopy; all differed significantly from placebo.
- CGrade CDisease activity and quality of life in IBD (add-on to standard therapy) · Mixed
RCT · n 140 · 2026 · Adults with Crohn's disease (60) or ulcerative colitis (80) on conventional therapy
Not stated in the abstract · Not stated in the abstract
In Crohn's disease, disease activity and faecal calprotectin improved; in ulcerative colitis, calprotectin fell only marginally (p = 0.09). Quality of life improved in both. Results are reported as changes after supplementation.
- DGrade DGut microbiota and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease · Mixed
Pilot RCT · n 49 · 2020 · Adults with Crohn's disease (19) or ulcerative colitis (30) on conventional therapy
Not stated in the abstract · 2 months
Butyrate increased short-chain-fatty-acid-producing bacteria; quality of life improved in ulcerative colitis. The clinical impact was not established.