If your Complete Microbiome Map shows low butyrate, it often explains symptoms that can feel unrelated but are not.

Many people with low butyrate experience a mix of digestive, hormonal and mood symptoms, even when they are eating well and doing all the right things.

Let’s start with what you might feel and then unpack why.

Symptoms Commonly Linked to Low Butyrate

Digestive Symptoms

Low butyrate can compromise the gut lining and increase inflammation, often showing up as:

Bloating or abdominal discomfort
Loose stools or constipation, or both
Food sensitivities that seem to keep increasing
IBS type symptoms
Ongoing gut irritation despite a clean diet

Many people notice their digestion feels unpredictable or fragile.

Hormonal and Metabolic Symptoms

Butyrate plays a role in blood sugar regulation, inflammation and metabolic signalling. When levels are low, we often see:

Weight loss resistance
Strong cravings or energy crashes
Blood sugar instability
Worsening PMS or cycle related symptoms
Difficulty feeling satisfied after meals

This is why low butyrate frequently appears in people with insulin resistance or metabolic dysfunction, even without obvious gut symptoms.

Mood, Stress and Brain Symptoms

Through the gut brain axis, butyrate helps regulate nervous system and immune signalling. Low levels may be associated with:

Low mood or anxiety
Brain fog or poor concentration
Reduced stress tolerance
Feeling wired but tired

These symptoms are often overlooked as gut related, but they are closely connected.

What Is Butyrate and Why Does It Matter?

Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid produced when specific gut bacteria ferment dietary fibre. It acts as:

The primary fuel source for cells lining the colon
A powerful anti inflammatory signal
A key regulator of gut barrier integrity

Without enough butyrate, the gut lining becomes more vulnerable, inflammation increases and communication between the gut, hormones and brain becomes less efficient.

Why Butyrate Is Often Low

Low butyrate production is commonly linked to:

Limited fibre diversity, even if total fibre intake seems adequate
Long term restrictive or very low carbohydrate diets
Chronic stress and poor sleep
Antibiotic or antimicrobial use
High intake of ultra processed foods
Existing gut inflammation or dysbiosis

Why Fibre Alone Is Not the Whole Story

Butyrate is produced by specific bacteria, including:

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
Roseburia species
Eubacterium rectale

Your Complete Microbiome Map looks not just at fibre intake, but whether the right microbes are present and active to convert fibre into butyrate. This explains why adding more fibre can sometimes worsen symptoms instead of improving them.

Low butyrate is not a diagnosis and it is not permanent. It is a signal that helps explain why symptoms may be persisting, even when you are eating well and trying to do the right things.

When butyrate production improves, many people notice:

Calmer digestion
More stable energy
Improved mood
Better metabolic flexibility

This is where the Complete Microbiome Map becomes so valuable.

It allows us to move beyond guesswork and tailor nutrition and lifestyle strategies to your unique gut environment, we can introduce changes at a pace your body can tolerate, reduce the risk of symptom flare ups, and focus on rebuilding gut function rather than just managing symptoms.

Book Free Assessment