Clostridium butyricum Health Benefits: What the Research Says
Clostridium butyricum is a probiotic with growing scientific interest. It is mainly found in probiotic supplements designed to support metabolic health. What are some other health benefits of C. butyricum?
If you've never heard of Clostridium butyricum, it's a probiotic that has recently attracted attention for its effects on metabolic health.
More people are realizing how blood sugar spikes can affect their health.
As a result, supplements that support metabolic health, including probiotics are becoming more popular.
What are the main health benefits of Clostridium butyricum?
Clostridium butyricum for IBS-D
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 200 adults with IBS-D, Clostridium butyricum improved overall IBS symptoms, quality of life, and stool frequency.
Learn more about the probiotics that have been studied for IBS-D in this article:
Best Probiotics for IBS-D: Top 3 Evidence-Based Strains
Clostridium butyricum for Metabolic Health
Although Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains are still the best-known probiotics, other beneficial bacteria are now getting more attention.
One of them is Akkermansia muciniphila:
This Gut Microbe May Help You Maintain Weight Loss
A novel probiotic formula of Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium beijerinckii, Bifidobacterium infantis, Anaerobutyricum hallii, and inulin was given to 76 people with type 2 diabetes as part of this study.
Compared with placebo, participants who took the formula showed better control of blood sugar after meals and improvements in long-term markers such as HbA1c.
Clostridium butyricum for Liver Health
Clostridium butyricum seems to have beneficial effects on lipid metabolism.
From one of the studies on C. butyricum:
C. butyricum modulates the dysregulation of lipid metabolism and immune response against a prolonged high-fat diet, possibly via butyrate production, resulting in protection from fatty liver disease.
Clostridium butyricum and the Gut Barrier
Another important benefit of Clostridium butyricum comes from the multiple ways it supports the gut barrier.
According to the same study already mentioned above, it helps produce protective mucus, helps keep the gut lining strong, and may reduce inflammation in the gut.
Clostridium butyricum and the Blood-Brain Barrier
This is an interesting finding because it shows how probiotics may act as a link between the gut and the brain.
Researchers studied the effects of Clostridium butyricum in a model of traumatic brain injury.
They found that it helped protect the blood-brain barrier by reducing the amount of excess water in the brain and restoring normal levels of tight junction proteins needed to keep the barrier strong.
But the surprising part was that the brain injury didn't just affect the brain - it also weakened the gut barrier.
Clostridium butyricum suppressed inflammation and helped maintain healthy levels of tight junction proteins in the gut.
The Bottom Line
With newer probiotics such as Clostridium butyricum and Akkermansia muciniphila, there are typically fewer manufacturers offering them.
Probably because they are less familiar to consumers and need more marketing than Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains.
I looked at the Clostridium butyricum strains currently available as supplements, and these are:
- Clostridium butyricum CBM588®
- Clostridium butyricum WB-STR-0006
- Clostridium butyricum CCFM1299
