What are the best low sodium protein shakes? 

drink wholesome makes the best low sodium protein shakes.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What does low sodium mean? 

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While the terms “salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably, they do not refer to the same thing. Salt, also known by its chemical name, sodium chloride, is a naturally occurring compound. Sodium, on the contrary, is a mineral and one of the components of salt. It plays a crucial role in regulating fluid and blood volume and muscle and nerve function. 

That said, the amount of sodium we need is small, and most Americans consume way too much. Although sodium is naturally occurring in many foods, the majority of the sodium in the American diet comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurant foods. On average, Americans consume approximately 3,400 mg of sodium per day, or over five teaspoons of salt, which is roughly 20 times more than the body actually needs

Why should you use low sodium protein shakes? 

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Excessive sodium intake can elevate your blood pressure and heighten the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also trigger fluid retention, resulting in swelling and other painful side effects. In essence, cutting back on sodium in your diet could significantly improve your overall health, depending on who you are.

When it comes to restricting sodium consumption, the target is to stay below 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day, which is roughly equivalent to just one teaspoon of salt. To put it in perspective, a McDonald’s Big Mac contains 1,100 mg of sodium, or more than half of your daily sodium allowance.

Where can I find the sodium content? 

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What is the best low sodium protein shake? 

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The best low-sodium shake is not only low in sodium, but also free from the added junk found in most protein shakes. Excessive sodium is not beneficial for your health, and neither are food additives. Ingredients like these can cause painful side effects and long term health problems. My advice when it comes to buying protein shakes is thus to look for a short list of simple ingredients – the shorter and the simpler the better.

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make the best low sodium protein shakes is that we do not use food additives. Emulsifiers, thickeners, fake flavors, and fake sweeteners, even when used in small amounts, can cause painful side effects.

Additives like these are hard to digest because they look hardly anything like real food. As a result, they spend extra time in your gut, feeding your gut bacteria. Gut bacteria release gas as they eat, so more time to feast means more gas, which can cause bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and even constipation. Partially digested food additives can also cause your colon to absorb excess water, leading to diarrhea. 

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

acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol

The main reason to be concerned about food additives is their long-term effects on your gut and overall health. Regularly consuming additives can disrupt regulatory pathways in your intestines, increasing your likelihood of developing conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory disorders.

Certain additives, such as artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, can also disrupt your gut microbiome – the community of microorganisms living in your gut. When your gut microbiome is thrown out of whack, a state known as gut dysbiosis, it can trigger widespread inflammation and the development of several chronic diseases.

our ingredients: 

almonds, coconut, vanilla. monk fruit

the alternative:

Protein Matrix Comprised of (Whey Protein Concentrate,  Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate, Egg Albumen, Glutamine Peptides), Polydextrose, Sunflower Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids,  Sodium Caseinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Yellow 5, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Papain, Bromelain

drink wholesome is dairy-free.

Another reason why we make the best low sodium protein shake is that we do not use dairy-based proteins. Whey and casein, derived from the production of cheese and yogurt, are notorious for triggering digestive discomfort. This is certainly the case for individuals with lactose intolerance, which affects over one-third of adults.

People with lactose intolerance struggle to fully digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy. As you are now aware, consuming foods that resist digestion can result in a range of uncomfortable and painful side effects.

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why we make the best low sodium protein shakes is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Nearly all other protein supplements are made from one or both of these protein sources, which undergo a process that strips away everything except the protein content. As a result, what you put into your body bears no resemblance to real food.

Your digestive system is meant to handle unprocessed or minimally-processed real foods, not protein concentrates or isolates. This is precisely why an increasing body of research is uncovering that the regular consumption of refined ingredients like these can disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome. As you now know, an imbalanced gut microbiome is bad news for your overall health. 

Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best low sodium protein shake with almonds. This plant-based protein source is minimally-processed, making it a gut-friendly alternative to protein concentrates and isolates.

Unlike protein concentrates and isolates, almonds contain enzymes and other digestive aids that help you break them down. Almonds also possess prebiotic properties, meaning they improve the diversity and composition of your gut microbiome.

In summary, if you need a protein shake without any sodium at all, our vegan almond protein shakes are the way to go. If you can settle for a low sodium protein shake, our egg white protein shakes sweetened with maple sugar are also a great choice. Please note that our egg white protein shakes sweetened with monk fruit are not low sodium.

★★★★★

easy to digest

“I have a sensitive gut and I’m on a sodium-restricted diet following a sepsis infection that impacted my kidneys. Most low or no-sodium protein powders I’ve tried taste simply awful or they were made with proteins that did not agree with my digestion. What a nice surprise, the chocolate is SO yummy, mixed with unsweetened coconut milk it made a very creamy shake for breakfast. I love it and have already ordered more.” – L. Johnson

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