How to Prevent Gas from Protein Shakes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

Are you wondering how to prevent gas from protein shakes?

Discover what causes protein shake gas and how to avoid this common side effect.

Last Updated
Jan 7, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, Founder

Jack is the Founder of Drink Wholesome.

Medically reviewed by Brittany, MS, RD and Jenn, PA-C

Kayla is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Jennifer is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein Shake Gas

Why Do Protein Shakes Cause Gas?

If you experience protein shake gas, you are not alone.

Protein shakes and powders are notorious for making people burp, fart, and bloat.

Fortunately for you, I know how to avoid these common side effects.

Keep reading to discover how to supplement your protein intake without causing bloating, gas, or any other digestive issues.

Believe it or not, in most cases, protein shake gas has nothing to do with the protein itself.

That is, unless you are allergic to the protein source, side effects like bloating, gas, and stomach pain are typically caused by added ingredients.

These ingredients tend to fall into one of the following categories: emulsifiers, flavors, sweeteners, and thickeners.

It follows that by steering clear of ingredients like these, you will likely find that your protein shake no longer makes you gassy.

In case you were wondering, emulsifiers, flavors, sweeteners, and thickeners tend to cause gas because they are hard to digest.

And ingredients that are hard to digest spend extra time in your gut, feeding the bacteria that live there.

Bacteria release gas they eat, so more time to eat means more gas!

Think of what goes on in your gut as similar to the fermentation used to make Champagne.

The only difference is that instead of making delightful bubbles, gut fermentation produces burps, farts, and stomach pain!

How Do I Prevent Gas from Protein Shakes?

Again, the only way to prevent gas from protein shakes is by avoiding the ingredients that cause it in the first place.

It is also worth adding that many of the ingredients that can cause bloating can also cause long-term gut health problems, which might make you more susceptible to bloating.

Here is overview of those problematic ingredients:

Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating additives like carrageenan and sucralose, for example, can alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This, in turn, can lead to gut dysbiosis (Microorganisms, 2022), which is linked to a number of chronic digestive issues known to make you gassy (JGH Open, 2021).

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein supplements:

• 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
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find it in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can cause digestive issues.

This is usually because they contain lactose, a sugar many individuals with sensitive stomachs cannot fully digest.

But you might be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

If you have a sensitive stomach, you might also want to avoid ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein supplements are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help your gut break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

Studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018) and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

Individuals with pre-existing digestive issues should thus look for protein supplements made from whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
2. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
3. JGH Open: An Open Access Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (JGH Open). Gut microbiota dysbiosis in functional gastrointestinal disorders: Underpinning the symptoms and pathophysiology. 2021.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
5. Molecular nutrition & food research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.