How to Find the Best Natural Protein Powder

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best natural protein powder.

Discover how to supplement your protein intake without any artificial ingredients.

Last Updated
Jan 21, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

All-Natural Protein Powder

Is Protein Powder Natural?

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the term “natural” means “nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in, or has been added to a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.”

Many protein powders can therefore be considered natural, as they do not contain any artificial ingredients.

The problem with this definition, however, is that it does not address food production methods, such as the use of GMOs and pesticides, nor does it explicitly address food processing.

The amount of mechanical and chemical food processing that goes into making most “natural” protein powders is particularly problematic.

How can both peas and pea protein isolates be natural?

One is naturally-occurring, meaning it can be found in nature, whereas the other requires extensive mechanical and chemical processing.

To further illustrate the limited scope of the FDA’s definition, I like to use the example of natural flavors, which are used in many protein powders.

According to the FDA, the term natural flavor refers to

“the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

Is it just me, or does this definition make natural flavors sound completely unnatural?

In my opinion, if you cannot find it in nature, or make it in your home kitchen, it is not natural.

To make matters worse, while food manufacturers are required to disclose their ingredients, flavor manufacturers are not.

They can add solvents, preservatives, emulsifiers, carriers and other additives to a flavor that qualifies as “natural” under current regulations.

This means natural flavor might just be a catch-all term for everything that a manufacturer would rather not spell out on the ingredient list!

Stevia is another great example of the ambiguity of the term “natural.”

This sweetener, which is considered by many (including the FDA) to be a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners, is often extracted from the stevia rebaudiana plant using chemicals like ethanol and methyl alcohol.

This, one could argue, makes it hardly more natural than the artificial sweeteners that it seeks to replace.

In fact, a recent class action lawsuit filed in California reached a $6.1 million settlement because it was ruled that the company in question falsely labeled and advertised its stevia sweeteners as natural.

So, when it comes to food and supplements, you cannot rely on authorities like the FDA to know if what you are putting in your body is actually natural.

You have to use your own intuition.

Ask yourself, “Is this something I can find in nature? Can I make this in my own kitchen?”

If it is not, it is not natural.

Why Should I Use Natural Protein Powder?

There are many reasons why you should eat natural protein powder.

First of all, natural foods, beverages, and supplements are nutritious.

Peas (the naturally-occurring legume), for example, are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Pea protein concentrates and isolates, on the other hand, have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

As a result, when you eat a pea protein concentrate or isolate, you are not only losing nutritional value, but you are also throwing your digestive system for a loop.

Studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates can disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

Unless you have a food allergy, no natural protein source will cause side effects like these!

What Is the Best All-Natural Protein Powder?

To be considered truly natural, a protein powder must be made from only ingredients that can be found in nature or made in your home kitchen.

By this definition, protein sources like whey protein isolate and pea protein concentrate are NOT natural.

Moreover, if this criteria is met, and you are eating a balanced diet, then the type of protein powder you use does not matter.

That is, protein sources like eggs, nuts, and hemp are equally nutritious protein sources.

Ingredients do matter, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that, although technically natural in some cases, can cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other ultra-processed additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut microbiota, which can contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases (Microorganisms, 2022; J Exp Med, 2019).

⚠️ 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 Protein Concentrates and Isolates

Although they are not artificial, 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).

You 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. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
2. 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.
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. The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 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.