
This Fatty Nutrient Reprograms Your Immune System (and Your Gut!)
Physionic
Aug 11, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Consume fiber to boost butyrate production
Your body primarily produces the beneficial fat butyrate when your gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber, not from directly eating most fats.
Enhance immune cell precision with butyrate
The fat molecule butyrate significantly improves the ability of immune cells, called macrophages, to find and kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella.
Enhance immune response with butyrate to kill pathogens without inflammation
Butyrate enhances the pathogen-killing ability of immune cells without causing a corresponding increase in pro-inflammatory signals.
Activate xenophagy with butyrate to enhance immune response
Butyrate works by activating a process called xenophagy, where immune cells specifically target and destroy foreign invaders like bacteria that have entered the cell.
Evaluate fiber intake to avoid gut health issues
Despite its benefits for producing butyrate, some people may experience worsened gut health and inflammation from high fiber consumption.
Shift immune cell metabolism with butyrate for anti-inflammatory benefits
Butyrate causes immune cells to shift their metabolism from using sugar to using fat, which is typically associated with an anti-inflammatory or repair state.
Increase butyrate with fiber-rich foods like lentils and oats
To increase butyrate, consume dietary fiber from sources like lentils, chickpeas, beans, oats, barley, cooked and cooled potatoes, and psyllium husk.
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