The Digest

If you've spent much time in the probiotics shelves, you may have heard of Clostridium butyricum, but you may not know what this specific strain does or why it's so important. Clostridium butyricum is a type of beneficial bacteria that can naturally be found in the gut microbiome.

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that species of beneficial gut bacteria have the potential to help manage a wide range of health conditions.

• Clostridium butyricum is a common type of bacteria found in soil and in the human gut
• Clostridium butyricum is best known for its ability to produce butyrate, a gut-healthy postbiotic
• Probiotics containing Clostridium butyricum have been shown to help manage gut health as well as type 2 diabetes in people taking metformin

What are the benefits of Clostridium butyricum?

In the next few sections, we’ll highlight some of the studies that demonstrate the potential benefits of Clostridium butyricum.

For people looking to supplement their diet with Clostridium butyricum, there are three Clostridium butyricum-enriched probiotics:

• Butyricum, formerly known as GI Repair

Relieves occasional bloating and gas and unlocks butyrate production

• Glucose Control

Helps lower A1C levels and post-meal glucose spikes in type 2 diabetes

• Metabolic Daily

Optimizes metabolism to help break down fiber, sugar, and carbohydrates

Clostridium butyricum and gut health

Butyricum (formerly named GI Repair) is a Pendulum probiotic that is rich in Clostridium butyricum. 

Butyricum can help relieve occasional:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Bloating

Additionally, Butyricum:

• Increases Clostridium butyricum levels, a gut-health-friendly targeted probiotic
• Contributes to an overall healthy, diverse gut microbiome
• Produces the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which helps healthy bacteria flourish

Clostridium butyricum and type 2 diabetes

Though research is ongoing, studies show that Clostridium butyricum can help with the management of type 2 diabetes.

In people taking metformin, Glucose Control—another probiotic that contains Clostridium butyricum—reduced:

• A1C levels by as much as 0.6%
• After-meal blood-sugar spikes by 33% compared to placebo

Clostridium butyricum and metabolism

Clostridium butyricum is named for its ability to convert dietary fiber into butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced when bacteria in the gut break down dietary fiber. It's associated with a spectrum of health benefits including healthy blood sugar response, gut permeability, and immune function. You can find Clostridium butyricum in Metabolic Daily, formulated to optimize metabolism.

What does Clostridium butyricum do?

Clostridium butyricum has also been clinically shown to support:

• Healthy gut microflora
• Digestion
• Immune health 

Because our body isn’t able to produce butyrate on its own, it depends on microbes like Clostridium butyricum to produce butyrate for us. 

How to increase Clostridium butyricum in the gut?

While there are natural sources of Clostridium butyricum (soil, certain vegetables, and spoiled dairy products), taking probiotics containing Clostridium butyricum is the most effective way to increase its levels in your gut. 

How many colony forming units of Clostridium butyricum should you take?

There is no set number for the amount of Clostridium butyricum that should be taken. 

If you are looking for guidance, consider talking with your healthcare provider and not exceeding the amount suggested by the probiotic manufacturer. 

Final thoughts

Over the past decade, scientists have come to see Clostridium butyricum as an important part of the gut microbiome with significant potential as a probiotic. 

Research is ongoing, but evidence suggests that Clostridium butyricum may help people manage a wide range of conditions.

For those looking to boost their Clostridium butyricum levels, probiotics are currently the only demonstrated method for increasing Clostridium butyricum in the human gut microbiome.

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