Can meal replacement shakes cause constipation?

Meal replacement shakes can cause constipation.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

Do meal replacement shakes make you constipated?

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Although a common side effect of meal replacement shakes is diarrhea, many people report that meal replacements also cause constipation. Constipation occurs when you have fewer than three bowel movements a week and your poop is hard and difficult to pass. Common symptoms include bloating and stomach pain.

If your meal replacement causes constipation, you have come to the right place. In this article, I will explain why many meal replacements cause constipation.

Why do meal replacement shakes cause constipation?

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Meal replacement shakes cause constipation because they are hard to digest. One look at the ingredients in the average meal replacement shake should explain why. Most meal replacements are made with gums, lecithins, sweeteners, and flavors that look nothing like real food. Ingredients like these are hard to break down, and spend more time in your digestive tract than food is supposed to. This can make you constipated. Keep reading to learn more. 

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is additive-free.

The main reason why our meal replacements do not cause constipation is that they do not contain food additives. Most other protein powders. on the contrary, are full of additives.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in meal replacement 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

As you now know, food additives spend extra time in your gut because they are hard to digest. This gives your hungry gut bacteria extra time to eat, and to produce gas.

Intestinal gas, specifically methane gas, slows colonic transit (the amount of time it takes food to travel through the colon), which can lead to constipation. Exactly why this occurs is still a mystery, but researchers believe that intestinal gas may reduce motility (spontaneous muscle movement), thereby slowing the passage of food.

our ingredients: 

egg whites, almonds, oats, coconut, cocoa, monk fruit

the alternative:

SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CANOLA OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, ISOMALTULOSE, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX, CELLULOSE, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, MONO & DIGLYCERIDE, XANTHAN GUM, SUCRALOSE

drink wholesome is dairy-free.

Another reason why our meal replacements do not cause constipation is that we do not use dairy-based proteins. Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein are hard to break down, especially for the millions of adults with lactose intolerance.

If you have lactose intolerance, you lack the enzymes needed to fully digest lactose, the sugar in dairy. You can guess what happens next – partially digested lactose feeds the bacteria living in your gut, causing extra gas production, and, ultimately, constipation. 

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why our meal replacements do not cause constipation is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Almost all other meal replacements contain one or both of these protein sources. 

The problem with protein concentrates and isolates is that they undergo extensive mechanical and chemical processing, often involving solvents like hexane. They therefore look very little like real food. 

Your digestive system is built to process minimally processed or whole foods, rather than protein concentrates or isolates. Research suggests, it follows, that the frequent consumption of refined ingredients like these can disturb your gut microbiome. An unhealthy gut has a hard time breaking down the food you eat, which is certainly not going to help with constipation.

Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the meal replacements with whole foods like egg whites and almonds. Minimally processed protein sources like these are a digestion-friendly alternative to protein concentrates and isolates.

Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, egg whites and almonds arrive in your digestive system armed with enzymes and digestive aids, making their breakdown easy. Moreover, egg whites are low FODMAP, alkaline (helping you achieve optimal pH levels in your gut, and bioactive (stimulating the growth of good gut bacteria).

Almonds, on the other hand, emerge as a valuable asset to your gastrointestinal well-being. With their prebiotic qualities, they contribute to the diversification of your gut microbiome. They also play a role in ensuring regular and healthy bowel movements thanks to their fiber content. One serving of our vegan protein powder has up to 8 grams of fiber per serving. This much fiber can provide protein shake constipation relief without upsetting your stomach.

★★★★★

no stomach issues

“Best most digestible meal replacement powder I have ever had.” – Jennifer

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