How to Find a Protein Powder That Doesn’t Cause Gas

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find a protein powder that doesn’t cause gas.

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

Last Updated
Mar 11, 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 Powder That Doesn’t Cause Gas

Does Protein Powder Cause Gas?

If protein powder makes you gassy, you are not alone.

Bloating, farts, and stomach pain are common side effects of protein powder, but protein powder should not make you gassy, and if it does, you need to find a new protein powder.

Before you go ahead and switch brands, however, you need to understand what is causing protein powder gas in the first place.

There are many reasons why protein powder causes gas, but in all cases, protein powder gas is produced by bacteria in the gut.

The gut, also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or digestive system, is a pathway from your mouth to your colon.

It is full of bacteria that help you digest food.

To put it simply, gut bacteria eat the food that you cannot digest, and produce gas in a process known as fermentation.

Fermentation in the gut is similar to the process of turning grapes into champagne.

In both cases, bacteria break down carbohydrates and release gas.

In the gut, however, smelly farts, not delicious bubbles, are the byproduct.

The average person passes gas several times a day, so burping or farting from time to time is perfectly normal.

Excessive gas or painful bloating, however, may be a sign that your protein powder is hard to digest.

If you feel bloated or gassy every time you drink a protein shake, it is time to take a closer look at the ingredient list.

Most protein powders contain one or more ingredients that are hard to digest and feed your hungry gut bacteria.

Again, the harder a food is to digest, the more your gut bacteria have to eat, and the more gas they produce.

This rule applies to everyone, but is especially true for people with gut issues that prevent them from digesting food efficiently.

What Is the Best Protein Powder that Doesn’t Cause Gas?

There are three types of ingredients in protein powder that cause gas:

• Food additives, including sugar substitutes
• Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein.
• Added fiber

It follows that if you are sick of protein powders that make you gassy, avoid these three types of ingredients.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Most food additives are so processed that they look nothing like real food, which makes them hard to digest.

Regularly eating certain digestion-resistant emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives not only causes gas, but also alters the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2020).

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been linked to chronic bloating and flatulence (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 (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023).

🚫 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.

For example, studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; 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.

What Else Might Cause Protein Powder Gas?

Gas after consuming protein powder can be attributed to several other factors, including:

• Food sensitivities to ingredients like gluten can cause symptoms like gas and bloating.
• Dietary habits such as drinking protein shakes too quickly causes you to swallow air, which can accumulate in your digestive tract.
• Too much or too little fiber intake can make you gassy. Eating too much fiber feeds your gut bacteria, which produce gas as they eat. Eating too little fiber can cause constipation, which gives your hungry gut bacteria more time to eat.
• GI conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can lead to excessive gas production.

Addressing these factors through personalized dietary and lifestyle interventions can go a long way towards reducing intestinal gas and promoting digestive health.

How Do I Prevent Protein Powder Gas?

How and when you consume protein powder can impact your digestion and overall gut health.

Consuming too much protein powder at once, for example, can overwhelm your digestive system, causing digestive issues.

If you are new to using protein powder, start with a smaller serving and gradually increase the serving-size to allow your digestive system to adjust.

Drinking water when dehydrated can also cause digestive issues.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day so that your digestive system functions properly when you consume protein powder.

Consuming protein powder with meals instead of on an empty stomach can also help reduce digestive discomfort.

Consuming protein powder right before exercise, especially intense exercise, on the other hand, can make you feel bloated and gassy.

Sources

1. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
2. JGH Open (JGH Open). Gut microbiota dysbiosis in functional gastrointestinal disorders: Underpinning the symptoms and pathophysiology. 2021.
3. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr). Milk proteins: Processing, gastric coagulation, amino acid availability and muscle protein synthesis. 2023.
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.