What do we know about the digestion rate of protein shakes?
The study referenced above only tested the impact of protein digestion rate when proteins were eaten alone, and the authors acknowledge that the presence of other macronutrients like carbohydrates and fats would have likely affected the results. Because most protein shakes contain added ingredients, this study therefore does not tell us much about how slowly or quickly you will digest your protein shake.
If you drink pure whey protein isolate with nothing but water, it is safe to say that it will only take a few hours to digest, but who does that? Most protein shakes, whether they are store-bought or homemade, contain a number of added ingredients that can affect that rate at which the protein is absorbed. They can also affect how the protein shake makes you feel.
What really makes a protein shake easy to digest?
Unless you are training for the Olympics, worrying about whether or not a protein is slow or fast-digesting is a waste of time. Any type of protein can help you reach your wellness goals, and no one type is significantly better than another – assuming you are eating a balanced diet. Moreover, if you spend too much time worrying about slow and fast-digesting proteins, you might forget about what really matters: the ingredient list.
As you now know, the added ingredients in your protein shake can have a big impact on your digestion. Common additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and flavors are hard to digest, and can cause side effects, slow digestion, even impair your ability to digest food. Keep reading to learn more.
One of the reasons why we make the easiest protein powder to digest is that we, unlike most protein powder companies, do not use food additives. Even in small amounts, additives can trigger gastrointestinal (GI) side effects like bloating, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence, especially for individuals with pre-existing gut issues.
The issue with additives is that they look nothing like real food, and are therefore hard to break down. As a result, one of two things can happen: either the intestines absorb excess water, leading to diarrhea, or the additives feed your gut bacteria, which release gas. Excessive gas can lead to bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and even slow colonic transit – the amount of time it takes food to move through the digestive tract.
Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:
acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol
The real issue with eating additives, however, is that they can cause serious problems in the long run. Whether you have gut issues or not, regularly eating food with additives can disrupt regulatory pathways in your intestines. This makes it more likely for you to develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory disorders. Moreover, some additives, especially artificial sweeteners, can disturb the delicate balance of your gut microbiome, affecting how you digest food and absorb nutrients.