Using butyrate supplements to manage obesity in children
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
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Posted on December 14th, 2022
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Previous metabolomic studies had shown that butyrate is necessary for a healthy gut microbiome. Deficiency of this short chain fatty acid reduces the abundance of certain beneficial bacterial species; resulting in metabolic dysfunction and increasing weight gain. A recent clinical trial tested the efficacy of butyrate supplements in reverting childhood obesity.
The trial included 54 children between the age of 5 and 17 whose body mass index was greater than the 95th percentile. These children were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 20 mg/kg of butyrate per day. After 6 months of study, those in the butyrate group experienced a greater rate of BMI and waist circumference reduction when compared to the placebo group. In addition, butyrate helps manage blood glucose level as seen in a lower level of insulin production and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). However, there is no significant difference in serum glucose level between the two groups. Also, the butyrate group experience a lower expression of other biomarkers associated with obesity such as the appetite hormone, ghrelin, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-6. The study noted that butyrate did not affect the serum level of triglycerides, LDL-C, and HDL-C. These results are encouraging since butyrate supplementation did not lead to adverse effects. Future studies should be conducted with a larger sample size and a longer surveillance period to elicit the effect of this dietary supplementation on weight management.
The trial included 54 children between the age of 5 and 17 whose body mass index was greater than the 95th percentile. These children were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 20 mg/kg of butyrate per day. After 6 months of study, those in the butyrate group experienced a greater rate of BMI and waist circumference reduction when compared to the placebo group. In addition, butyrate helps manage blood glucose level as seen in a lower level of insulin production and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). However, there is no significant difference in serum glucose level between the two groups. Also, the butyrate group experience a lower expression of other biomarkers associated with obesity such as the appetite hormone, ghrelin, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-6. The study noted that butyrate did not affect the serum level of triglycerides, LDL-C, and HDL-C. These results are encouraging since butyrate supplementation did not lead to adverse effects. Future studies should be conducted with a larger sample size and a longer surveillance period to elicit the effect of this dietary supplementation on weight management.