What Is the Best Protein Shake Stomach Remedy?

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s protein shake stomach ache remedy​.

Discover 10+ tips to reduce symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

Last Updated
Jan 9, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

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

Brittany is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

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

Protein Shake Stomach Ache Remedy

How Do I Relieve a Protein Shake Stomach Ache?

The first thing you should do if your protein shake makes you feel sick is stop drinking it.

As you just learned, one or more ingredients is probably upsetting your stomach.

The next step is dealing with your symptoms.

Most symptoms will go away after a few hours, but there are a few actions you can take to make yourself more comfortable.

How to Reduce Nausea:

• Drink lots of water. Your body needs water to efficiently digest and absorb nutrients from foods and beverages, so dehydration makes digestion difficult.
• Sit or stand. People with an upset stomach should avoid lying down or going to bed.
• Eat ginger. Ginger can help reduce nausea.

How to Reduce Bloating and Gas:

• Exercise. Physical exercise can help you pass gas and reduce bloating.
• Drink peppermint tea. This easy home remedy has a long history of reducing bloating and gas.

How to Deal With Diarrhea:

• Drink water, broth, or sports drinks. Staying well hydrated and consuming lots of electrolytes is important if you have diarrhea.
• Eat plain foods. There is no particular food or food group that can reduce diarrhea, but bananas, white rice, applesauce, and toast are all safe things to eat.

How to Get Rid of Constipation:

• Drink warm water. Drinking lots of water, especially warm or hot water, can help you poop.
• Exercise. Movement can stimulate the muscles in your digestive system.
• Eat more fiber. Fiber increases the size of your stool, which helps it move through your digestive tract. It also softens your stool, making it easier to pass.
• Drink coffee. Caffeine can stimulate the muscles in your digestive system.

Depending on the nature and severity of your symptoms, these tips and tricks may help you feel better.

But that every stomach is different, so what works for one person might not work for someone else.

It is also important to note that most digestive symptoms just need time to subside, so if nothing seems to help, take deep breaths, meditate if you know how, and do your best to relax.

Why Do Protein Shakes Cause Stomach Aches?

If you just drank a protein shake and have a stomach ache, you have come to the right place.

This article will help you understand why your protein shake upset your stomach and help you manage your symptoms.

First of all, many protein shakes contain food additives known to cause painful side effects and long term digestive health problems.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Emulsifiers, flavors, thickeners, sweeteners, and other additives can upset your stomach, even in small amounts.

This happens because they look nothing like real food and are therefore hard to digest.

Moreover, ingredients that resist digestion feed your gut bacteria, which release gas as they eat.

And too much intestinal gas can cause bloating, stomach pain, and even constipation.

⚠️ 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

Regularly food additives can also alter the composition of your gut microbiome, the collection of microorganisms living in your gut (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

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

Remember that the 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 digestive health.

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 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.

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.