Italian butter, tradition and benefits of butyric acid

Italian butter, the history

The production of butter in Italy has ancient roots, especially in the regions of North, where dairy cattle breeding has developed in a structured way since the Middle Ages. In the alpine and pre-alpine area, butter initially originated as a by-product of cheese production, obtained from the natural rising of cream from milk intended for the oldest long-aged cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano.

Over the centuries, butter has taken on a central role in the cuisine of Northern Italy, in contrast to olive oil which is prevalent in the central-southern regions. With the introduction of cream centrifugation in the 19th century, production gradually industrialized, improving hygiene standards, yield and product stability, without however eliminating traditional mountain productions.

Places of production and sustainability

Butter production in Italy today is mainly concentrated in Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, territories characterized by a high density of dairy cattle farms and structured dairy supply chains.

On the level of sustainability, available data indicate that the supply chains linked to major PDO cheeses of Northern Italy adopt systems of animal feeding mainly based on local forage, with a positive impact on reducing feed imports and on the traceability of raw material (CREA; ISPRA). However, the sustainability of butter cannot be generalized: it depends on the farming model, animal welfare, manure management and energy efficiency of plants. Only in the presence of certified systems (organic, mountain productions, PDO supply chains) is it possible to report consistent evidence of sustainability.

Categories and production methods

Butter is defined as ‘the product with a milk fat content not less than 80% but less than 90%, a maximum water content of 16%, and a maximum milk non-fat dry matter content of 2%’ (EU Reg. 1308/13).

The production method distinguishes two main categories of butter:

• centrifuge butter. Obtained from fresh cream separated by centrifugation immediately after milking. It is the most common butter in modern industry, characterized by greater freshness, a clear sensory profile, and lower acidity;

• creamery butter. Derived from cream that naturally rises from raw milk, often intended for the production of PDO cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano. It has a more complex aromatic profile, with lower oxidative stability.

In recent years, the following have also emerged on the Italian market:

• lactose-free butter. Produced by hydrolysis of the residual lactose, it maintains the lipid fraction unchanged and is suitable for people with lactose intolerance;

• clarified butter (ghee). Obtained by removing water and milk proteins through controlled heating, it is characterized by greater thermal stability, almost total absence of lactose and caseins, and long shelf life.

Nutritional properties

According to the official data from CREA, butter provides about 758 kcal per 100 g, with an average composition of:

• total fats, 83.4 g;

• saturated fatty acids, 54.20 g;

• monounsaturated fatty acids, 26.35 g;

• monounsaturated fatty acids, 3.05 g;

• fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A (930 μg, against a Nutrient Reference Value, NRV, of 800 μg) and E (2.4 mg, against a Nutrient Reference Value of 12 mg). (NRVs defined in Annex XIII of EU Regulation No. 1169/11).

Butter is naturally free of carbohydrates and contains only traces of protein. Its nutritional value can be appreciated through regular consumption of small amounts of raw butter and essentially lies in the presence of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, including butyric acid, as well as in its richness in vitamin A and its source of vitamin E.

The role of butyric acid

Thebutyric acid (C4) is a short-chain fatty acid naturally present in dairy fats, particularly in butter, where it represents about 3-4% of total fatty acids. Numerous scientific studies indicate that butyrate plays a key role in mitochondrial energy metabolism, serving as a preferred energy substrate for colonocytes (the epithelial cells of the colon) and contributing to the regulation of the gut-brain axis.

Unlike other fatty acids, butyrate exerts specific metabolic effects without acidifying the gastric environment. Recent scientific evidence shows that butyrate:

• supports intestinal barrier integrity, promoting the function of tight junctions (tight junctions) and reducing intestinal permeability. A 2025 clinical study demonstrated acute protective effects of butyrate on transcellular intestinal permeability in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (Noordhout et al., 2025). Butyrate stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), essential for intestinal epithelial barrier function (Kelly et al., 2015);

• modulates intestinal and systemic inflammation, through inhibition of NF-κB factor and reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Recent studies confirm that butyrate protects the intestinal barrier and suppresses immune activation through inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDAC) (van der Hee et al., 2023);

• exerts epigenetic effects, by inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDAC) and influencing gene expression (Donohoe et al., 2012);

• contributes to neuroprotection, through multiple mechanisms including: modulation of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation (Guo et al., 2023), support for mitochondrial function and synaptic plasticity (Cavaliere et al., 2023), restoration of intestinal microbiota and inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in the gut-brain axis (Alpino et al., 2024). Emerging evidence indicates that dietary intake of butyrate is associated with improved cognitive functions in the elderly (Ma et al., 2025), while its central action may improve intestinal permeability and visceral sensitivity through cannabinoid signaling (Okumura et al., 2021);

• supports cerebral energy metabolism, with recent studies demonstrating the potential of butyrate in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, through mechanisms involving HDAC inhibition, anti-inflammatory modulation and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier integrity (Senarath et al., 2024; Banasiewicz et al., 2020).

These benefits are more marked when the butter comes from milk of animals mainly fed on forage, a condition that also increases the content of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (Elgersma et al., 2006).

Conclusions

Italian butter is a product that goes beyond mere culinary function. It represents an expression of zootechnical and territorial biodiversity, a key ingredient of gastronomic tradition, and a source of functional lipids of growing scientific interest. Overcoming ideological and reductionist approaches allows enhancing butter as a food to be consciously integrated, privileging origin, quality, and production method, in line with the principles of transparency, sustainability, and food culture promoted by GIFT.

Dario Dongo

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

References

• Alpino, G. C. A., Pereira-Sol, G. A., Dias, M. M. E., Aguiar, A. S., & Peluzio, M. C. G. (2024). Beneficial effects of butyrate on brain functions: A view of epigenetic.  Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 64(12), 3961–3970. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2137776

• Banasiewicz, T., Domagalska, D., Borycka-Kiciak, K., & Rydzewska, G. (2020). Determination of butyric acid dosage based on clinical and experimental studies – A literature review.  Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny, 15(2), 119–125. https://doi.org/10.5114/pg.2020.95556

• Cavaliere, G., Catapano, A., Trinchese, G., Cimmino, F., Penna, E., Pizzella, A., … & Mollica, M. P. (2023). Butyrate improves neuroinflammation and mitochondrial impairment in cerebral cortex and synaptic fraction in an animal model of diet-induced obesity.  Antioxidants, 12(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12010004

• CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Analysis. (2019). Food Composition Tables. Butter. Rome: CREA. https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/190010

• Donohoe, D. R., Collins, L. B., Wali, A., Bigler, R., Sun, W., & Bultman, S. J. (2012). The Warburg effect dictates the mechanism of butyrate-mediated histone acetylation and cell proliferation.  Molecular Cell, 48(4), 612–626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2012.08.033

• Elgersma, A., Tamminga, S., & Ellen, G. (2006). Modifying milk composition through forage.  Animal Feed Science and Technology, 131(3-4), 207–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.06.012

• Guo, T. T., Zhang, Z., Sun, Y., Zhu, R. Y., Wang, F. X., Ma, L. J., … & Liu, H. D. (2023). Neuroprotective effects of sodium butyrate by restoring gut microbiota and inhibiting TLR4 signaling in mice with MPTP-induced Parkinson’s disease.  Nutrients, 15(4), 930. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15040930

• ISPRA – Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research. (2022).  Animal Husbandry and Environmental Impacts in Italy. Rome: ISPRA.

• Kelly, C. J., Zheng, L., Campbell, E. L., Saeedi, B., Scholz, C. C., Bayless, A. J., … & Colgan, S. P. (2015). Crosstalk between microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids and intestinal epithelial HIF augments tissue barrier function.  Cell Host & Microbe, 17(5), 662–671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2015.03.005

• Ma, L., Niu, M., Jiang, D., Ding, C., Li, S., Chen, H., … & Zhang, P. (2025). Higher dietary butyrate intake is associated with better cognitive function in older adults: Evidence from a cross-sectional study.  Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 17, 1522498. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1522498

• Noordhout, M., Romijn, J. A., van der Flier, L. G., van Schooten, C., Van Klinken, J. B., Laman, J. D., & Meijer, L. (2025). Acute effects of butyrate on intestinal permeability in patients with irritable bowel syndrome assessed by a novel colonoscopy research model. Gut Microbes, 17(1), 2545414. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2025.2545414

• Okumura, T., Nozu, T., Ishioh, M., Igarashi, S., Kumei, S., & Ohhira, M. (2021). Centrally administered butyrate improves gut barrier function, visceral sensation and septic lethality in rats.  Journal of pharmacological sciences, 146(4), 183–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphs.2021.04.005

• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. Consolidated text: 01/04/2025. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/2025-04-01

• Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products. Annex VII, Appendix II, Section: A. Milk fats, Point 1. Consolidated text: 08/11/2024. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/2024-11-08

• Senarath, R. M. U. S., Oikari, L. E., Bharadwaj, P., Jayasena, V., Martins, R. N., & Fernando, W. M. A. D. B. (2025). The Therapeutic Potential of Butyrate and Lauric Acid in Modulating Glial and Neuronal Activity in Alzheimer’s Disease.  Nutrients, 17(14), 2286. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142286

• van der Hee, B., Madsen, O., Vervoort, J., Smidt, H., & Wells, J. M. (2023). Butyrate protects barrier integrity and suppresses immune activation in a Caco-2/PBMC co-culture model while HDAC inhibition mimics butyrate in restoring cytokine-induced barrier disruption.  Nutrients, 15(12), 2760. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122760