How to Increase Your Short-Chain Fatty Acids Naturally

November 16, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2025 review in the journal ScienceDirect, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) derived from dietary fiber fermentation play a critical role in gut and systemic health, and increasing their production can offer significant benefits. Learning how to increase your short-chain fatty acids involves simple, natural adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.

Quick Summary

This article outlines natural and effective strategies to boost short-chain fatty acid production. It details the key dietary sources, the importance of prebiotics and probiotics, and how other lifestyle factors influence gut microbiota to promote these beneficial compounds.

Key Points

Eat Diverse Fiber: Increase your intake of fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes to promote a diverse gut microbiome and robust SCFA production.
Incorporate Prebiotics: Add prebiotic foods such as chicory root, garlic, onions, and asparagus to your diet to selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria.
Consume Resistant Starch: Prioritize foods rich in resistant starch, like cooked and cooled potatoes or green bananas, to specifically boost butyrate levels.
Choose Probiotic Foods: Include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi to introduce new, beneficial live microorganisms to your gut.
Embrace Healthy Habits: Regular exercise and effective stress management are critical lifestyle factors that support a healthy gut microbiome and optimal SCFA production.
Reduce Processed Foods: Limit your consumption of processed foods and added sugars, which can disrupt the balance of your gut bacteria.

The Gut Microbiome and Short-Chain Fatty Acids

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome. When you consume dietary fiber that your body cannot digest, these friendly gut bacteria ferment it in your colon. This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), primarily acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are crucial for numerous aspects of health. Butyrate, for instance, serves as the main energy source for the cells lining your colon, reinforcing the intestinal barrier and reducing inflammation. Boosting your SCFA levels, therefore, is an effective way to support a healthier gut and overall well-being.

The Role of Fiber in SCFA Production

The cornerstone of increasing SCFAs is consuming more dietary fiber, especially fermentable types. The amount and kind of fiber you eat directly influence the SCFAs your gut bacteria produce. A varied diet, rich in different types of fiber, ensures a diverse and thriving gut microbiome capable of producing a wide range of SCFAs. Fiber is broadly categorized into two types: soluble and insoluble. While both are important, soluble and fermentable fibers are most effective for SCFA production.

Soluble Fiber: This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It is a preferred food source for many SCFA-producing bacteria. Excellent sources include fruits, vegetables, oats, and legumes.
Insoluble Fiber: This fiber adds bulk to your stool and helps food pass more quickly through your stomach and intestines. While less fermentable, it still plays a role in gut health by supporting a healthy transit time.

Incorporating Prebiotic Foods

Prebiotics are a specialized type of dietary fiber that selectively feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. By nourishing these specific microorganisms, prebiotics directly stimulate the production of SCFAs. Many common fruits and vegetables are rich in these beneficial compounds.

Here are some of the best prebiotic-rich foods to add to your diet:

Chicory Root: Extremely rich in inulin, a powerful prebiotic fiber proven to increase SCFA production.
Garlic and Onions: These alliums contain inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which promote the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria.
Asparagus: A great source of inulin that helps nourish healthy gut bacteria.
Bananas: Unripe (green) bananas are particularly high in resistant starch, which has potent prebiotic effects.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are excellent sources of fermentable fiber.
Oats: Whole oats contain beta-glucan fiber, another prebiotic that supports gut and heart health.

The Power of Probiotics

While prebiotics feed your existing gut bacteria, probiotics introduce new, beneficial live microorganisms directly into your system. By supporting a healthy balance of bacteria, probiotics can indirectly enhance SCFA production, especially when paired with a high-fiber diet (creating a symbiotic effect).

To increase your probiotic intake, focus on fermented foods. Good options include:

Yogurt and Kefir: These are fermented dairy products rich in lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
Sauerkraut and Kimchi: Fermented cabbage and other vegetables provide a diverse range of beneficial bacteria.
Miso and Tempeh: Fermented soybean products popular in Japanese and Indonesian cuisine.
Kombucha: A fermented tea drink that contains bacteria and yeast cultures.

The Importance of Resistant Starch

Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and ferments in the large intestine, similar to dietary fiber. It is a particularly effective way to increase butyrate, the most important SCFA for colon health.

Green Bananas: A rich, natural source of resistant starch.
Cooked and Cooled Potatoes, Rice, and Pasta: The cooling process after cooking changes the starch structure, making it more resistant to digestion.
Legumes: Lentils, peas, and beans naturally contain resistant starch.

Lifestyle Factors for Optimal SCFA Production

Beyond diet, several lifestyle choices can significantly influence your gut health and, by extension, your SCFA production.

Exercise Regularly: Studies show a link between regular physical activity and a more diverse and healthy gut microbiome, which can lead to increased SCFA production.
Manage Stress: Chronic stress can negatively impact the gut lining and the microbial balance within it. Effective stress management techniques, such as meditation or yoga, support a healthier gut environment.
Limit Processed Foods and Sugar: A diet high in processed foods and simple sugars can promote the growth of less beneficial bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance required for optimal SCFA production.

Comparing Methods to Increase SCFAs

Here is a comparison of different methods to increase your SCFA levels, focusing on the source and primary mechanism.


Method	Primary Source	Primary Mechanism	Key SCFAs Produced	Best For...
Dietary Fiber (Fruits & Veggies)	Plant-based, whole foods	Fermentation by diverse gut bacteria	Acetate, Propionate, Butyrate	Broad-spectrum gut health, increasing microbial diversity
Prebiotic Foods (Chicory, Oats)	Non-digestible plant fibers	Selectively feeding beneficial bacteria	Inulin boosts Acetate, Propionate	Targeting specific bacterial growth and SCFA types
Resistant Starch (Cool Pasta, Green Bananas)	Specific types of starches	Colonic fermentation	Primarily Butyrate	Optimal nourishment for colon cells
Probiotic Foods (Yogurt, Kimchi)	Live microorganisms	Introducing beneficial bacteria strains	Varies by strain; some produce Acetate and Butyrate	Repopulating and balancing the gut microbiome
Exercise & Stress Management	Lifestyle	Modulating the gut-brain axis & microbial composition	Varied, dependent on overall gut health	Holistic improvement of gut ecosystem

Conclusion

Increasing your short-chain fatty acids is a powerful, natural way to support your gut and enhance overall health. The most effective approach is a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes. By prioritizing a diverse intake of plant-based foods, especially those rich in prebiotic fibers and resistant starch, you provide your gut microbiome with the fuel it needs. Supplementing with probiotic-rich fermented foods and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and stress management further optimizes this process. Focus on these actionable steps to build a more robust, balanced, and healthier gut from the inside out.

Frequently Asked Questions

The fastest way to increase short-chain fatty acids is by consuming fermentable fiber, particularly resistant starch, which is rapidly broken down by gut bacteria to produce these beneficial compounds. Combining a high-fiber diet with probiotics from fermented foods can also speed up the process.

While foods do not contain significant amounts of SCFAs themselves, they contain the fermentable fibers that produce them. Foods with high SCFA-producing potential include chicory root, garlic, onions, green bananas (for resistant starch), oats, and legumes.

Yes, apple cider vinegar is primarily composed of acetic acid, which is a type of short-chain fatty acid. However, the amount is small and the focus should remain on dietary fiber from whole foods for broader and more sustained SCFA production in the colon.

SCFA supplements, like sodium butyrate, may be absorbed before reaching the colon, diminishing their direct benefit to the colon cells. Fermenting fiber in the colon is a more effective way to produce butyrate and other SCFAs where they are most needed.

Exercise does not produce SCFAs directly, but it promotes a healthier gut microbiome, which is more capable of fermenting fiber to produce SCFAs. Therefore, exercise is a supportive lifestyle factor that enhances the dietary approach.

Changes in diet, particularly increasing fermentable fiber, can lead to measurable changes in gut bacteria and SCFA production within days to weeks. Consistency is key, and long-term adherence provides the most significant and lasting benefits.

Aim for a diverse intake of both soluble and insoluble fibers from whole plant foods. A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes is more beneficial than relying on a single food source or fiber supplements for fermentation variety.