Gut Health · Buying Guide
Butyrate supplements are not all the same molecule
Most of what is sold as "butyrate" is one of three different compounds, and they differ in what the butyrate is attached to. If you have been reading about butyrate and now want to choose one, this is the part that usually goes unexplained.
The three forms
Same nutrient, three different deliveries
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid your gut bacteria make when they ferment fiber. Supplements deliver it in one of three forms: sodium butyrate, calcium butyrate, and tributyrin. The difference is what the butyrate is bound to, which determines how much mineral comes along with it and how it is released.
Sodium butyrate
Butyrate bound to sodium. The most common form because it is the cheapest to make; it is what most big-name butyrate supplements use. Double Butyrate does not use it.
- Delivered alongside
- Sodium
- Typical serving
- Often around 300 mg per serving
- Commonly noted
- Distinct odor; adds to daily sodium intake
Calcium butyrate
Butyrate bound to calcium instead of sodium. It costs more to make, carries no added sodium, and has none of the odor sodium butyrate is known for.
- Delivered alongside
- Calcium
- Typical serving
- Varies; often paired with magnesium
- Commonly noted
- No added sodium
Calcium butyrate + tributyrin
Tributyrin, the third form, carries three butyrate molecules on a glycerol backbone rather than a mineral; digestive enzymes release them gradually. Most butyrate supplements do not include it. Double Butyrate pairs it with calcium butyrate: two forms in one formula.
- Delivered alongside
- Calcium; the tributyrin portion carries no mineral
- Per 4-capsule serving
- 2,000 mg calcium butyrate (1,680 mg butyrate on the label) plus 200 mg tributyrin as ButyraGen®
- Why both
- Two forms, two release profiles, one formula
Serving sizes differ across products. Figures above are per labeled serving as of October 2026.
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Inside the formula
Why Double Butyrate uses two forms
Most butyrate products pick one form and deliver it at a single point. Double Butyrate combines calcium butyrate and tributyrin so the formula is not relying on a single release profile. It contains no sodium butyrate.
Butyrate is the primary fuel for the cells lining the colon. That lining is what everything downstream depends on, which is why this formula is built for daily use over months rather than a short course.
Double Butyrate
Which one is for me
Which one fits what you are actually dealing with
Butyrate is one piece. What it pairs with depends on why you started looking.
Daily support
Gut lining and digestive comfort
Ongoing support with no acute issue driving it.
See Double Butyrate →Mold and biotoxins
Working through an exposure
In a mold protocol, Double Butyrate usually runs alongside a binder like Binder Blend. Timing between the two matters.
How to time it with a binder →Lyme and co-infections
Supporting a longer recovery
Lyme recovery puts strain on the gut along with everything else. Double Butyrate can run alongside the Lyme & Co-Infection Recovery Kit.
See the Lyme kit →Not sure
Start with a few questions
A starting point rather than a catalog.
Take the supplement quiz →Good to know
Questions people ask before buying
What is the difference between sodium butyrate and calcium butyrate?
Both deliver the same butyrate molecule bound to a different mineral. Sodium butyrate is the most common and cheapest form; it adds sodium to your day and carries a strong odor. Calcium butyrate costs more to make, delivers calcium instead of sodium, and has no notable smell. Double Butyrate uses calcium butyrate and contains no sodium butyrate.
Is tributyrin better than sodium butyrate?
They are different delivery forms rather than better or worse versions of the same thing. Tributyrin carries butyrate on a glycerol backbone, so it adds no mineral, and digestive enzymes release its butyrate gradually. A mineral salt delivers butyrate bound to sodium or calcium. Double Butyrate uses calcium butyrate and tributyrin together so it is not depending on one form alone.
How much butyrate is in a serving of Double Butyrate?
One four-capsule serving lists 2,000 mg of calcium butyrate, declared on the label as 1,680 mg of butyrate, plus 200 mg of tributyrin as ButyraGen®. An independent review by Innerbody named Double Butyrate its “Best high-dose complex,” with the highest butyrate dose among its recommendations.
Why is a serving four capsules?
Because one serving delivers 2,000 mg of calcium butyrate plus 200 mg of tributyrin. That is more material than fits in one or two capsules, and we would rather disclose the serving than shrink the dose.
Will it smell?
The odor people associate with butyrate supplements is generally tied to sodium butyrate. Double Butyrate does not contain sodium butyrate.
How long before I notice anything?
Gut lining support is gradual. Most people are asked to give it four to six weeks of consistent daily use before judging, and changes tend to feel steady rather than sudden. Individual results vary.
Can I take it with a binder?
A common pairing. Binders bind broadly, so spacing matters: take the binder 30 minutes before or 60 minutes after Double Butyrate and other supplements.
Double Butyrate
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