How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Arthritis

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely supplement your dietary intake with arthritis.

Last Updated
Jan 25, 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 for Arthritis

Is Protein Powder good for Arthritis?

Arthritis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation and pain in one or more joints of the body.

There are many different types of arthritis, but the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that occurs when the protective cartilage that covers the ends of bones in joints wears away over time, causing the bones to rub against each other.

This can cause pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility in the affected joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the membrane that lines the joints, causing inflammation and damage to the joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis in particular is affected by diet, both in terms of disease risk and management.

As you might imagine, avoiding foods that cause inflammation is key.

There is no one-size-fits-all diet for people with arthritis.

In other words, the relationship between diet and arthritis is complex, and foods that are considered inflammatory for one person may not have the same effect on someone else.

That said, there are certain foods that arthritis sufferers should limit or avoid, as they can cause inflammation and exacerbate symptoms.

These foods include sugar and refined carbohydrates, red meat, dairy, alcohol, and processed foods.

Protein supplements, although technically processed foods, can still be part of your diet if you suffer from arthritis.

In fact, if you need the extra protein, they can play an important role.

Dietary protein is essential for maintaining and repairing the body’s tissues, including the joints.

It also helps with maintaining a healthy weight, which is important for managing arthritis symptoms.

Being overweight stresses the joints, leading to increased pain and inflammation.

Most people can get more than enough protein from foods like eggs, fish, and meat, but for those who cannot, protein powder can help fill in nutritional gaps.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Many protein supplements are made with ingredients known to cause or at least contribute to painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other 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 (Microorganisms, 2022), which has been linked to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (Rheumatol Adv Pract, 2023).

Although more research is needed, it is thought that inflammatory responses, molecular mimicry (when the immune system confuses the body for a germ), and loss of intestinal barrier integrity might have something to do with it.

⚠️ 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

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 (Nutrients, 2018) and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (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. 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. Rheumatology Advances in Practice (Rheumatol Adv Pract). Gut dysbiosis in rheumatic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 92 observational studies. 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.