Short-Chain Fatty Acids: The Unsung Gut Messengers That Influence Your Brain, Energy, and Mood

Most people have never heard of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), but they’re quietly doing essential work inside your body—especially in the space between your gut and your brain.

SCFAs like acetate, propionate, and butyrate are produced when friendly gut bacteria break down fiber. But they do more than help digestion. They influence how you feel, how much you eat, how your brain functions, and how your body manages inflammation.

Recent research from Swiss scientists Virginie Mansuy-Aubert and Yann Ravussin highlights just how central SCFAs are in this gut–brain conversation. These tiny molecules don’t just stay in your gut—they reach your nervous system, stimulate vagus nerve activity, regulate hunger and mood hormones, and even protect your nerves.

Acetate fuels your brain and calms inflammation. Propionate helps regulate appetite and glucose levels. Butyrate supports your gut lining, reduces inflammation, and may even act like a natural antidepressant by boosting BDNF, a key brain growth factor. All three of them can travel to your brain or activate the vagus nerve to send signals upward.

In other words, what happens in your colon doesn’t stay in your colon—it influences your entire system.

Low levels of SCFA production—often linked to poor diet, stress, or gut imbalance—can increase gut permeability (“leaky gut”), lower your metabolic resilience, and make it harder to regulate mood, weight, and energy. That’s why prebiotics (fibers that feed good bacteria) and fermented foods are getting so much attention.

If you’ve been struggling with bloating, cravings, low mood, or brain fog, improving your SCFA production might be a powerful next step.

Our Only Plants capsules are made with gut-friendly fibers and dried vegetables that support natural SCFA production in the colon—helping feed the bacteria that help feed you. Designed for daily use, they work gently in the background to support your gut–brain axis.

No gimmicks. Just better communication inside your body—one small capsule at a time.

Try it today and feel the difference. Your gut will know. Your brain will thank you.

Reference:
Mansuy-Aubert V, Ravussin Y. Short chain fatty acids: the messengers from down below. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2024.