Butyric acid is produced by yeasts and, when working with gluconic acid, can help combat yeast infections such as Candida and thrush. Gluconic acid makes an acid medium with a low pH that is inhospitable to bacteria, mould, and fungi known as microbes.
Butyric acid also increases energy expenditure by increasing body heat production and increasing physical activity. It also massively increases the function of mitochondria, the tiny power plants of every cell. It can also lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and regulate insulin levels and is a fundamental controller of metabolism, stress resistance and the immune system.
The highest concentration of butyric acid is found in the gut. That is because it is produced by intestinal bacteria from carbohydrate that the host cannot digest, such as cellulose and pectin. Indigestible carbohydrate is the main form of dietary fibre.
Butyric acid also has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects and can treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, although, some inflammatory disorders
may be caused or exacerbated by a deficiency of butyric acid in the first place. Parkinson's disease is one of these.
