What is the best protein powder that doesn’t cause gas?

Are you looking for a protein powder that doesn’t cause gas? Discover why protein powder can make you gassy and how to avoid this common side effect.

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Protein powder and gas

Does protein powder give you 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 digestion-resistant emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives not only causes gas, but also alters the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut.

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, which is associated with chronic bloating and flatulence. 

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

Avoid dairy-based proteins

You should also avoid dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, which contain lactose, a sugar most adults cannot fully digest.

Keep in mind that you may 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

Steer clear of protein concentrates and isolates too.

Most protein supplements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein, including the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

Your digestive system therefore does not digest them in the same way that it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to gut health.

In fact, research shows that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome.

Basically, if you could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it should not be in your protein powder. 

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Drink Wholesome is the best protein powder that doesn’t cause gas.

Finding a protein supplement free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

In fact, 99% of protein supplements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients, which is why we created Drink Wholesome.

We make the protein powder that doesn’t cause gas because we use a short list of simple ingredients.

Our Ingredients

egg whites

coconut

vanilla

monk fruit

NOT Our Ingredients

• acacia gum

• acesulfame potassium

• artificial flavors

• carrageenan

• erythritol

• guar gum

• inulin

• maltodextrin

• 'natural' flavors

• silica

• soy lecithin

• sucralose

• xanthan gum

• xylitol

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestion problems with our protein powder than with any other type of protein supplement. 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.