Why Butyrate Supplementation Makes Chronic Gut Dysfunction Worse: The Data They Don't Show You — The Host Capacity Model: A Different Framework

Most models of gut health assume the microbiota is the primary problem. Fix the bugs, fix the system. But what if the fundamental driver isn&#8217;t microbial at all? What if it&#8217;s colonocyte bioenergetic failure ? The Host Capacity Model (HCM) positions it this way: Colonocytes are cells with the highest metabolic demand in the body. They renew every 3&#8211;5 days, requiring massive ATP production. They maintain ion gradients, synthesize tight junction proteins, mount immune responses, and run continuous detoxification. When colonocytes fail energetically&#8212;when mitochondrial dysfunction, nutrient deficiency, or chronic stress systems compromise their capacity to generate ATP&#8212;everything downstream collapses. The microbiota doesn&#8217;t drive dysbiosis. The colonocytes&#8217; metabolic failure selects for dysbiosis. Bacteria that can thrive in low-oxygen, high-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) environments flourish. Normal SCFA-producing commensals starve out. The dysbiotic community produces inflammatory metabolites, further compromising the epithelium. The system enters a vicious cycle. Butyrate supplementation in this context is like adding fuel to an engine with no spark plugs.