What is the best protein powder good for Parkinson’s disease?
Not all protein powders are created equal, and many are not safe for Parkinson’s patients. Many protein powders, for example, are full of ingredients known to cause painful gastrointestinal (GI) side effects and long-term gut health problems. To be specific, food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, flavors, and sugar substitutes can alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your digestive tract.
Research shows that an altered gut microbiome plays a role in several neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. The mechanisms by which this occurs are still not well understood, but it may involve changes to bacteria with the capacity to produce short‐chain fatty acids and an increase in putative pathobionts (pathogens). It follows that avoiding protein powders with the potential to disrupt the gut microbiome is essential for people with Parkinson’s. The best way to do so is to prioritize powders made with a short list of simple ingredients. Keep reading to learn more.
One of the reasons why we make the best protein powder for Parkinson’s disease is that we do not use food additives. Most additives can cause unpleasant GI side effects, especially if you already have a sensitive stomach – which many Parkinson’s patients do.
Firstly, additives are hard to break down because they are not real food. This means they spend extra time sitting in your gut, feeding your hungry gut bacteria. Gut bacteria release gas as they eat, so more time to eat away means more gas is produced.
As you might imagine, too much intestinal gas can cause bloating, flatulence, and stomach pain. It can also slow down food as it moves through the colon, leading to constipation.
In some cases, partially digested food additives draw water into your colon, triggering diarrhea. Now, you may finally have something to blame for those post-protein shake trips to the bathroom.
Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powders:
acacia fiber, acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, ascorbic acid, aspartame, calcium carbonate, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dicalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, ‘natural’ flavors, rice bran extract, rice dextrin, rice hulls, rosemary extract, silica, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, soluble corn fiber, soy lecithin, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, tocopherols, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, xylitol, zinc oxide
Regularly eating food additives can also disturb regulatory pathways in your intestines, triggering the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory conditions.