Is Premier Protein Good for You?

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

Is Premier Protein good for you?

Learn whether or not you should add these popular shakes and powders to your diet.

Last Updated
Jan 24, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

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

Premier Protein Analysis

Are Premier Protein Shakes and Powders Healthy?

Premier Protein makes some of the most popular protein supplements on the market.

Their shakes and powders are cheap, widely available, and come in a variety of flavors.

But are they healthy?

Although Premier Protein makes it easy and affordable to supplement your protein intake, it uses a long list of problematic ingredients.

In particular, it uses ingredients known to cause painful digestive issues and even long-term gut health problems.

Premier Protein Nutrition Facts

A Premier Protein Vanilla Protein Shake contains 160 calories, 30 grams of protein, and only 1 gram of sugar.

From a nutritional standpoint, it looks like an excellent source of protein.

But just because its Nutrition/Supplement Facts looks good does not mean that a protein supplement is good for you.

Premier Protein Ingredients

The ingredients list is by far the most important indication of whether or not a protein supplement is healthy.

So, let us take a deep dive into Premier Protein’s ingredients.

Milk Protein Concentrate

The main ingredient (other than water) and main source of protein in a Premier Protein Vanilla Protein Shake is milk protein concentrate.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no official, legal definition for a milk protein concentrate.

That said, it is generally understood to be any product made by removing the non-protein (fats, sugars, etc.) components of milk, thereby concentrating the protein components to higher levels.

This itself is not inherently problematic, but you should note that milk protein concentrates contain lactose, which 36% of American adults cannot fully digest (NIDDK, 2018).

For this reason, they tend to cause digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea.

Calcium Caseinate

Calcium Caseinate is a protein derived from casein, the main protein found in milk.

It is chemically modified using acid and calcium hydroxide, which technically makes it an ultra-processed food (UPF).

This is concerning because UPFs tend to have negative effects on human health (BMJ, 2024).

You should also consider the possibility that you may be sensitive to casein, even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is because casein forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

Food Additives

Aside from added vitamins and minerals, the rest of the ingredients in this Vanilla Protein Shake are food additives.

High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Natural and Artificial flavors, Inulin, Cellulose Gel and Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Tripotassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate

Although not necessarily bad for you in small quantities, additives are notorious for causing digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea.

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives can also alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is linked to a number of chronic digestive issues (Microorganisms, 2022; JGH Open, 2021).

Remember, your gut microbiome affects various physiological processes, including immune function and inflammation.

So, when the balance of bacteria therein is disrupted, it can have a huge impact on your digestive health.

Artificial Sweeteners

Among the added ingredients are artificial sweeteners, including sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

This will probably not come as a surprise, but artificial sweeteners are not good for your gut.

Like many food additives, they can wreak havoc on your gut microbiome (Adv Nutr, 2019).

Are Premier Protein Shakes Good for You?

While Premier Protein shakes and powders may seem like a tempting option for your daily nutrition, these protein supplements are not as good for you as they claim to be.

In fact, I would argue that they are NOT GOOD FOR YOU period based on the ingredients alone.

Sure, they contain lots of protein and no added sugar, but they are also full of added junk.

In case you were wondering, protein powders tend to contain better ingredients than ready-to-drink protein shakes, so if you are going to patronize Premier Protein, use their protein powder.

At least in that case, you are not ingesting as many emulsifiers, thickeners, etc.

Sources

1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Definition & Facts for Lactose Intolerance. 2018.
2. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) (BMJ). Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. 2024.
3. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
4. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
5. 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.
6. Advances in Nutrition (Adv Nutr). Effects of Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota: A Review of Experimental Studies and Clinical Trials. 2019.

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.