These top 20 plant-based foods boost butyrate naturally—ramping gut health, metabolism, immunity, weight loss, and more.
When it comes to gut health, butyrate is one of the most powerhouse molecules you’ve likely never heard of. This short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) is produced when beneficial gut bacteria ferment certain types of prebiotic fibers—especially resistant starches and dietary fibers found in whole plant foods.
Once created, it serves as the primary fuel for colonocytes—the cells that line your large intestine and maintain the gut lining, regulate inflammation, and support immunity.
Butyrate also stimulates the release of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY)—two powerful satiety hormones that reduce appetite and regulate insulin. They’re also the same hormones tapped by weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, but when you stimulate them naturally—with foods that produce butyrate—major win: better blood sugar, more far burn, improved mitochondrial health.
The best part is that as usual, science copies nature, so you don’t need weight loss drugs or prescriptions to tap some butyrate—just the right kinds of foods.
The following are 15 whole-food sources that contain butyrate directly (in the form of certain fermented foods), or provide the prebiotic fibers that allow your biome to to produce it on its own.
Foods High In Butyrate
Here’s a list of the top 20 foods shown to boost butyrate production naturally:
1. Cooked and Cooled Potatoes
When potatoes are cooked and cooled—sometimes referred to as ‘twice baked potatoes’—they form resistant starch, a fermentable fiber that your gut bacteria converts into butyrate. This resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine and reaches the colon intact, where it selectively nourishes butyrate-producing microbes like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, linked to reduced inflammation and improved metabolic health.
2. Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)
A top source of inulin, a potent prebiotic fiber, Jerusalem artichokes fuel the growth of butyrate-producing bacteria that improve bowel regularity, calcium absorption, and modulation of the gut-brain axis through enhanced SCFA output.
3. Onions
Onions contain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin, which function as prebiotics and stimulate butyrate synthesis. In addition, onions provide quercetin, a polyphenol that reduces gut permeability and inflammation, further enhancing SCFA signaling.
4. Leeks
Leeks are a lesser-known but excellent source of inulin and FOS, similar to onions and garlic. These fermentable fibers help promote microbial diversity and butyrate output, while also supplying polyphenols that act as antioxidants in the gut lining.
5. Garlic
Like onions, garlic contains prebiotic fructans such as inulin and FOS. These compounds increase the abundance of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, leading to higher butyrate levels. Garlic’s organosulfur compounds also have antimicrobial effects that selectively suppress harmful bacteria while preserving beneficial strains.
6. Green Bananas
Green bananas are among the richest fruit sources of type 2 resistant starch, offering about four to five grams per banana. This feeds beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria and promotes the generation of SCFAs like butyrate, which supports colon health, regulates immune function, and enhances fat oxidation.
7. Rolled or Steel-Cut Oats
Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber known to modulate the gut microbiome and increase SCFA production. Beta-glucan also slows digestion, stabilizes blood sugar, and has been shown in studies to enhance the abundance of Lachnospira and Roseburia—both key butyrate producers.
8. Ground Flaxseeds
Ground flaxseeds are a source of both soluble fiber and lignans, which are metabolized by gut microbes into SCFAs, including butyrate. Flax intake is associated with improved regularity, hormone regulation, and colon health, especially when consumed ground for better absorption.
9. Cabbage (especially raw or fermented)
Cabbage is rich in fiber and glucosinolates, and when fermented into sauerkraut or kimchi, it introduces lactic acid bacteria that support a healthy microbiome and boost butyrate. Eaten raw, cabbage also enhances microbial diversity and supports detoxification enzymes.
10. Barley (especially beta-glucan rich varieties)
Barley is one of the top whole grains for promoting butyrate due to its high beta-glucan content. Clinical studies have found that barley intake increases butyrate concentrations in the colon while lowering LDL cholesterol and improving metabolic markers.
11. Lentils
Lentils contain both soluble fiber and resistant starch, which makes them a powerful plant-based prebiotic. Studies have shown that regular lentil consumption can increase butyrate production, reduce LDL cholesterol, and improve glucose metabolism—partly due to their effect on microbial diversity.
12. Chicory Root
Chicory root is another concentrated source of inulin, and it’s often used in prebiotic supplements and naturally boosts the output of butyrate.
14. Cooked and Cooled Rice
Similar to potatoes, cooked and cooled rice develops resistant starch during the cooling process. This supports the colonization of healthy gut microbes that ferment the starch into butyrate, while also helping regulate postprandial glucose and improve satiety.
15. Beans (Black, Navy, Kidney)
Beans are rich in resistant starch and a mix of soluble and insoluble fibers, which together create a fermentable matrix for butyrate production. Studies show that regular bean consumption reduces inflammatory markers, improves lipid profiles, and supports beneficial gut flora like Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides.
15. Green Peas
Green peas are not only an excellent source of protein, they rock resistant starch, pectin, and other fermentable fibers that increase butyrate. They also supply polyphenols that work synergistically with fiber to regulate inflammation and the integrity of the gut.
16. Artichokes (Globe)
Globe artichokes are high in inulin and also contain polyphenols like cynarin, which have been shown to support liver detox pathways and gut microbial balance. Their fiber content fosters the fermentation needed to produce butyrate and enhance digestion.
17. Seaweed (e.g., Wakame, Nori)
Certain seaweeds contain unique polysaccharides like fucoidan and alginate, which are fermented into SCFAs, including butyrate, by specialized gut microbes. Seaweed also promotes microbial diversity and has been associated with metabolic health and reduced inflammation.
18. Sweet Corn (cold or reheated)
Corn, when cooked and cooled, contains resistant starch that reaches the colon intact. It’s been shown to increase levels of butyric acid and positively shift microbiota composition, and especially whole-kernel minimally processed corn.
19. Apples (with skin)
Apples provide pectin, a fermentable soluble fiber shown to increase butyrate and other SCFA levels. Pectin supports gut motility, enhances satiety hormones like GLP-1, and modulates immune function by feeding beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus plantarum.
20. Carrots (Raw or Lightly Cooked)
Carrots are rich in soluble fiber like pectin, which serves as a fuel source for butyrate-producing microbes. They also provide polyacetylenes like falcarinol, compounds shown to reduce gut inflammation and support colonocyte health. Regular carrot consumption has been linked to improved microbiota balance and enhanced production of SCFAs, including butyrate.
Takeaway
Butyrate is one of the most important postbiotic compounds your gut can produce—and one of the best ways to support its production is through a diet rich in prebiotic fibers and resistant starch.
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