My protein shake makes me nauseous.

Why my protein shake makes me nauseous. 

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What is nausea?

Nausea is the feeling of discomfort that makes you feel as though you might vomit, but may or may not lead to vomiting. It is a feeling that everyone dreads, and you have almost certainly experienced it at some point – perhaps while reading in a moving vehicle, or after drinking too much coffee. There are many causes of nausea, including motion sickness, medication, viral infections, and even the foods you eat.

The timing of the nausea often indicates the causes, so if you feel nauseous shortly after drinking a protein shake, it is likely that the protein shake is causing the nausea. How long nausea lasts depends on the cause. Nausea from eating food will usually start to improve after a few hours. Nausea from other causes can last a lot longer. Call your doctor if your nausea lasts for more than a week.

Can protein shakes make you nauseous?

If your protein shake makes you nauseous, you are not alone. The average protein powder makes me nauseous too. Moreover, if you are sick of side effects like this, you have come to the right place. In this article, I will explain why protein supplements cause nausea, and cover the top ingredients to avoid, especially if you have gut issues or a sensitive stomach. 

Why my protein shake makes me nauseous?

Protein supplements can cause a number of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, including nausea, for a number of reasons. Here are a few of the most common.

Food additives can cause nausea.

First of all, there are two types of protein shake: ready-to-drink (store-bought) protein shakes, and protein shakes made with protein powder. Nearly every ready-to drink protein shake, and most protein powders, contain food additives. Here I am talking about ingredients like emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, and flavors.

Food additives cause nausea because they look nothing like real food. Basically, your gut has a hard time digesting ingredients that do not look like real food. These ingredients therefore linger in your digestive tract which causes one of two things to happen: either your gut absorbs extra water, causing diarrhea, or you feed your gut bacteria, which release gas. Gas, in turn, causes bloating, stomach pain, and feelings of nausea. It can also cause constipation as it slows colonic transit (the amount of time it takes food to travel through the colon).

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

Sweeteners can cause nausea. 

Artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and stevia are added to many protein supplements to make them sweet, and are popular because of their intense sweetness – a pinch can be used to achieve the same amount of sweetness as several tablespoons of sugar. This intense sweetness is also why they can make people feel sick. Essentially, it is easy to overdo it, and many protein shakes and powders are thus way too sweet. These types of sweeteners also activate bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet taste receptions, which can make you gag. 

Dairy can cause nausea.

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, which are byproducts of cheese and yogurt production, are known to make people nauseous. This is especially the case for individuals with lactose intolerance (over one third of adults), as they cannot full digest lactose, the sugar in dairy. As you now know, partially digest food can cause a range of unpleasant GI symptoms. 

Protein isolates can cause nausea. 

Finding an additive-free, dairy-free protein supplement is hard. Finding an additive-free, dairy-free protein powder made with real foods is next to impossible. Why? The vast majority of protein powders are made with protein concentrates and/or isolates, foods stripped of everything but the protein. They appear on the ingredient list as “pea protein” and “whey protein,” and require heavy mechanical and chemical processing to become protein powder. Manufacturers often use chemical solvents like hexane to separate the protein from the food.  As a result, your protein supplement looks nothing like real food. 

In addition to being bad for your gut, protein concentrates and isolates also taste chalk. Because they no longer contain fats, carbs, and other nutrients, they have a chalky aftertaste that can trigger your gag reflex (make you feel like you are going to vomit).

Why drink wholesome? 

Instead of protein concentrates or isolates, we make delicious, easy to digest protein powders with egg whites and almonds. The egg whites are simply pasteurized and dried, and the almonds are just roasted, pressed to remove some oil, and ground. Minimally-processed ingredients like these are a better-tasting, gut-friendly alternative to protein concentrates and isolates. Our protein powders are also free from nauseating ingredients like additives and artificial sweeteners. Order samples to see for yourself. 

★★★★★

easy to digest

“Tastes great blended with frozen fruit. It’s hard to describe, but this protein powder just makes me feel good! I used to use whey, and it always made bloated and gassy.” – Amy

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