What causes protein powder acid reflux? 

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What causes protein powder acid reflux? Learn more about protein powder and acid reflux.

Protein powder and acid reflux

What is acid reflux?

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Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), occurs when stomach acid flows backward into the esophagus. Severe acid reflux can lead to a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

GERD is quite common, affecting about 20% of the population. Its most frequent symptom is heartburn.

Certain foods trigger acid reflux because they slow down the digestive process. Other foods relax the esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to flow back up into the esophagus. The foods you eat also play a role in regulating the amount of acid your stomach produces, so making smart food choices is key to managing acid reflux.

Eliminating trigger foods from your diet is an effective way to avoid acid reflux symptoms. You can also use an elimination diet to determine which foods cause symptoms. This is important because triggers vary from person to person.

There is a lot of debate about which foods actually trigger acid reflux, but there is consensus on a few common triggers. These include alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, fatty foods, fried foods, and processed foods. The last one, processed foods, is important to consider when buying protein powder. 

Can protein powder cause acid reflux?

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Protein powder acid reflux is a common side effect. It is so common because most protein powders are made with a cocktail of heavily-processed ingredients that are hard to digest.

It is worth mentioning that consuming a large amount of protein powder in one sitting can increase the volume of stomach contents, putting pressure on the esophageal sphincter. This may cause stomach acid to flow back up into the esophagus.

Drinking a protein shake close to bedtime can also increase the risk of acid reflux. Like eating too much, lying down can put pressure on the esophageal sphincter. Lying down can also slow digestion, thereby increasing the production of stomach acid. It can diminish the effect of gravity too, making it easier for stomach contents to move back up into the esophagus.

In short, to avoid protein powder acid reflux, you should not only be mindful of the ingredients in your protein powder, but also how much you use, and when you use it.

What is the best protein powder for acid reflux? 

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As you just learned, any protein powders are made with ingredients that can cause acid reflux. Among these ingredients are food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates. 

Avoid food additives

Most protein powders contain a cocktail of food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and sugar substitutes. For someone with acid reflux, ingredients like these are a big problem for several reasons. 

First of all, food additives are hard to digest because they look little to nothing like real food. This can trigger the overproduction of stomach acid. It can also feed your gut bacteria, which produce gas as they eat. Excessive intestinal gas can put pressure on the small intestine and stomach, pushing stomach acid into the esophagus and causing reflux.

Food additives can also alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut. This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in your gut microbiota, which is linked to gastroesophageal reflux disease. Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:

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

Avoid dairy-based proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can cause acid reflux. This may be because they contain lactose, a sugar most adults cannot fully digest.

Avoid protein concentrates and isolates

Most protein powders are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have been stripped of everything but the protein, including the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down. As a result, they can take a long time to digest, which may cause or worsen acid reflux. 

Finding a protein powder free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates is hard. In fact, 99% of protein supplements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients. This is why we created drink wholesome. Keep reading to learn more about why we make the best protein powder for acid reflux.

drink wholesome is the best protein powder for acid reflux

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We make the best protein powder for acid reflux because we use a short list of simple ingredients free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like collagen, egg whites, and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb. Whole food protein sources also have unique digestive benefits: collagen can reduce bloating and improve digestive symptoms, egg whites can help restore your mucosal intestinal barrier, and almonds can improve the composition of your gut microbiome.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestive issues with our acid reflux protein powder than with any other type of protein supplement. Order samples to see for yourself.