Acesulfame potassium is a zero-calorie sweetener that is added to many sugar-free…
Menu
Butyric Acid
Butyric Acid
Butyric Acid
What is it:
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is a short-chain fatty acid that occurs naturally in animal fats, plant oils, and as a byproduct of digestion in the human body. Industrially, it’s produced through microbial fermentation, often using bacteria like Clostridium butyricum or Clostridium acetobutylicum. These bacteria ferment carbohydrates under anaerobic conditions to yield butyric acid. Butyric acid can be used as a flavoring agent and preservative, providing a buttery taste to products like butter, cheese, and bakery items.
Rating:
Supplementation with butyrate has been widely studied for its health benefits, including improving metabolic disorders, improving chronic illness outcomes, and benefiting gut health. However, there is little research on butyric acid as a food additive.
Resources:
- Butyrate to combat obesity and obesity‐associated metabolic disorders (review)
- Health implications of butyrate in humans and animals (review)
- Oral butyrate improves Crohn’s disease (clinical trial)
- Sodium butyrate reduces the frequency of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (randomized controlled trial)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
Top Ingredients To Avoid
Almond extract is a concentrated liquid flavoring derived from almonds, commonly used…
Recent Articles
Not all flavors, or oils are created equal!
The Food Showdown: Popcorners flavors
Ingredient Rating: Canola oil – is it bad for you?
Clean Consuming: Nourishment for your
Is It Clean 2023 Recap + Our top 3 Tips for a Healthier 2024
We have accomplished so much in just 1 year since our launch in March of 2023! We now have 10,000
Food Showdown: Nacho Chips
The Nacho Chip Food Showdown, is Tapioca Starch safe in food? and a must-see documentary on America’s food system.