Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid made in the gut when bacteria ferment fiber that you cannot digest on your own. That simple process creates a molecule that acts as both a fuel and a signal across multiple systems in the body. Instead of thinking of fiber as something that just helps digestion, it is more accurate to think of it as a raw material that your microbiome converts into regulatory signals that influence metabolism, inflammation, and even sleep. When you eat fiber from foods like vegetables, fruits, and resistant starches, it travels through the small intestine largely unchanged. Once it reaches the colon, bacteria break it down through fermentation. This produces acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Of these, butyrate plays a particularly important role because it is the preferred fuel for the cells that line the colon. These cells, called colonocytes, form the barrier between your internal environment and the outside world. When colonocytes are fueled by butyrate, they function efficiently and maintain a strong barrier. When butyrate is low, these cells shift toward less efficient energy production and the barrier becomes more permeable. That allows substances like endotoxin to leak into circulation and drive inflammation throughout the body. So at the most basic level, butyrate helps determine whether the gut acts as a strong wall or a leaky filter. Inside the cell, butyrate is converted into acetyl CoA and enters the mitochondrial energy system. It feeds into the TCA cycle, which produces the reducing equivalents needed to drive the electron transport chain and generate ATP. This is not just about making energy. The type of fuel you use affects how electrons flow through the system. Butyrate tends to support a more balanced redox state compared to a heavy reliance on glucose metabolism under stress. That balance helps maintain efficient mitochondrial function and reduces the likelihood of excessive reactive oxygen species disrupting signaling. Butyrate also acts at the level of gene expression. It inhibits enzymes called histone deacetylases. These enzymes normally tighten DNA around histones and limit access to certain genes. When butyrate inhibits them, the DNA structure becomes more open and accessible. This allows increased expression of genes involved in antioxidant defense, mitochondrial function, and inflammation control. In simple terms, butyrate helps unlock parts of your genetic library that support repair and resilience.

Anyone research anything that helps with concussions/symptoms? Thanks!

Just came across this interview on Light and the ETC. https://youtu.be/le8QD_Qsk1w?si=i39WFkMBl9XS2YOs I couldnt get my You Tube transcript copier to copy and summarise it. Its a bit long and Physics orientated, and Im just about hanging in there. It seems to be suggesting that a significant proportion of mitochondrial energy is derived directly from Infra Red light exposure during the day. Anthony has talked about sleep requiring energy. The video talks about how IR creates photon pools that are used to power night time activities. I was left womdering if that connects to what Anthony was saying, and if it means that the more daylight exposure we get then the more energy we have for sleep.

VISION, POSTURE, COGNITION, AND PERFORMANCE: HOW MEMBRANES GOVERN THE WHOLE ORGANISM Up to this point, we’ve stayed mostly at the cellular and membrane level. Conductors, buffers, mitochondria, failure modes. That work matters, but if it stays abstract it risks feeling disconnected from lived experience. So in this part, we zoom out. Membrane health doesn’t just determine what happens inside cells. It determines how an organism perceives the world, organizes its body, and decides how much stress it can tolerate. This is where DHA stops being a biochemical curiosity and becomes something you can see in posture, feel in cognition, and observe in performance. Let’s start with vision. Vision is often treated as a sensory add-on. Something that delivers information to the brain, where the “real work” happens. That framing is backwards. Vision is a primary regulator of autonomic tone. The retina is not just detecting light. It is converting photons into electron movement. That electron movement sets timing signals that propagate through the nervous system. These signals influence circadian rhythm, arousal state, muscle tone, and spatial orientation. The retina is one of the most DHA-dense tissues in the human body for a reason. Phototransduction is a high-frequency, high-precision process. Light hits photoreceptors, electrons move, ion channels open, and signals propagate in milliseconds. The system must respond quickly and reset just as fast. Any noise or delay degrades perception and increases stress. DHA allows retinal membranes to maintain signal fidelity under constant flux. It improves signal-to-noise and shortens recovery time between inputs. When DHA is insufficient, or when membranes are oxidatively unstable, the retina becomes noisy. The system compensates by increasing sympathetic tone. The body becomes more vigilant, more guarded, less adaptable. This is not psychological. It is electrical. From the retina, this tone propagates. Visual instability increases neck and jaw tone.

By now, the core idea should be clear. DHA is not nutrition. Plasmalogens are not optional add-ons. Mitochondria are not broken engines waiting for more fuel. And inflammation is not the enemy. Across fatigue, poor recovery, cognitive decline, chronic inflammation, burnout, and early aging, the common thread is a loss of signal integrity at the membrane level. This final section exists for one reason: to turn that understanding into a way of thinking that prevents overcorrection, overstimulation, and endless symptom chasing. This is not a protocol. It’s an operating system. The first principle of a membrane-first approach is order. Biology always restores structure before increasing output. When we reverse that order, systems become fragile. When we respect it, systems organize themselves naturally. So the most important question is not, “What should I add?” It’s, “What is the membrane currently capable of handling?” That single question eliminates most mistakes. The first step in this hierarchy is de-noising. Before trying to improve energy or performance, sources of chronic membrane instability need to be reduced. Excessive omega-6 intake, oxidized fats, environmental stressors, poor sleep, and unmanaged psychological stress all increase background electron noise. Adding conduction or stimulation into an already noisy system only amplifies chaos. This is why people sometimes feel worse when adding DHA, mitochondrial supplements, or aggressive training. The system was already loud, and better wiring simply exposes the problem. De-noising isn’t exciting, but it’s foundational. The second step is buffering. Once noise is reduced, the system needs protection before speed. This is where plasmalogens matter. Buffering increases membrane capacitance and allows electrons to move without damaging surrounding structures. This phase often feels calming rather than stimulating, and that’s not a failure. Calm means signal coherence is improving. Better sleep, feeling more grounded, and reduced reactivity without an immediate surge in energy are signs this stage is working. It’s important not to rush past it.