Sick of protein powder farts?
If you are sick of protein powder farting, you have come to the right place. In this article, you will learn what causes protein powder farts so you can easily increase your protein intake without upsetting your stomach. This article was written by Jack Schrupp.
Protein powder farts
What are farts?
Everyone farts. Farting, or flatulence, is a natural bodily process driven by the activity of bacteria living in your large intestine. These microorganisms produce gas as they break down undigested food, primarily dietary fiber and sugars that have bypassed your small intestine’s digestion process.
Farts are primarily composed of odorless gasses like oxygen and methane. That said, there can be trace amounts of smelly gasses like hydrogen sulfide, which contribute to the unpleasant odor often associated with flatulence.
Does protein powder make you fart?
Protein powder can make you fart. In fact, protein powder makes so many people fart that there is such a thing as a protein powder fart.
Protein powder farts, also known as protein farts, are farts caused by protein powder. They can be unpleasant for you and everyone around you, but can also be easily avoided.
Does vegan protein powder make you fart?
Vegan protein powder, especially if it contains lots of fiber, can certainly make you fart. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest, and the more fiber you eat, the more you fart. I will explain exactly why this happens shortly.
Does protein powder make your farts smell?
As you just learned, some gut bacteria (Salmonella, Escherichia, Fusobacterium, and more) produce sulfur-containing gasses like hydrogen sulfide known for their pungent “rotten egg” odor. It follows that if your protein powder farts smell bad, your protein powder is either rich in sulfur, or you have an overgrowth of certain types of bacteria.
Here is a chart showing the range of sulfur amino acid concentrations in different protein powders. As you can see, whey protein contains a lot of sulfur-containing amino acids, which explains why it tends to create the smelliest farts.
Why does protein powder make you fart?
Some people assume that protein powder farts are unavoidable, but this is not true. Protein powder should not make you fart, and if it does, it is time to find a new protein powder.
There are three types of ingredients that cause protein powder farts: food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.
Food additives
Emulsifiers, thickeners, sugar substitutes, and other additives are hard to digest. When you eat foods or ingredients that are hard to digest, you give the bacteria in your gut more time to eat (ferment) that food.
The fermentation that takes place in your gut is similar to the fermentation used to make Champagne. The only difference is that instead of making delightful bubbles, gut fermentation produces gas that can cause bloating, flatulence, and stomach pain.
Regularly eating certain food additives can also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut. This can lead to gut dysbiosis, which is associated with excessive intestinal gas.
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
Dairy-based proteins
Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can also cause side effects like bloating and gas. This is in part because they contain lactose, a sugar most adults cannot fully digest.
Protein concentrates and isolates
Most protein powders are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and or chemically 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 tend to feed your hungry gut bacteria, resulting in side effects like flatulence.
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 our protein powder does not cause protein powder farts.
drink wholesome does not cause protein powder farts
Our protein powder does not cause protein powder farts because we use a short list of simple ingredients free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.
egg whites, coconut, vanilla, monk fruit
the alternative:
Protein Matrix Comprised of (Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate, Egg Albumen, Glutamine Peptides), Polydextrose, Sunflower Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Yellow 5, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Papain, Bromelain
Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like collagen, egg whites, and almonds. Simple protein sources like these are easy to digest and absorb. They also each bring a unique set of digestive benefits to the table.
Collagen has been shown to reduce bloating and improve digestive symptoms. Almonds are rich in prebiotic fiber and improve the composition of your gut microbiome. Egg whites are alkaline, meaning they balance the pH levels in your gut, and promote the growth of good gut bacteria.
Our customers thus experience fewer protein powder farts with our protein powder than with any other type of protein supplement. Order samples to see for yourself.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
