How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Fatty Liver

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with FLD.

Last Updated
Jan 29, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

Jennifer Fossett is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein Powder for Fatty Liver Disease

Is Protein Powder Good for Fatty Liver Disease?

Fatty liver disease, also known as hepatic steatosis, is a condition characterized by an excess fat in the liver cells.

There are two types:

• Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD): Excessive alcohol consumption can overwhelm the liver’s ability to metabolize alcohol, leading to the buildup of fat in liver cells.
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): NAFLD is closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and other conditions that lead to a buildup of fat in liver cells.

If left untreated, fatty liver can lead to more serious conditions, including liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer.

The treatment and management of fatty liver depend on the underlying cause.

For alcoholic fatty liver, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption is essential.

For non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, lifestyle and dietary modifications are recommended.

In fact, NAFLD can be prevented and even reversed by making dietary changes that promote weight loss.

This is because weight loss not only impacts your waistline, but also your liver health.

One dietary change that has been shown to support weight loss is increasing the percentage of calories that come from protein.

• Protein makes you feel full for longer than fats and carbs, which can curb cravings and overeating.
• Protein has a higher thermic effect than fats and carbs, meaning you burn more calories digesting it.
• Protein can help you build muscle, and individuals with more muscle mass have faster metabolisms (burn more calories).

Although most people can get more than enough protein from foods like dairy, eggs, and meat, some, like those with dietary restrictions, might need a little help.

This is where protein powder, which makes it easy to fill in gaps in your diet, can come in handy.

Protein powder can be mixed with just water to make a simple protein shake, or added to smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes.

That said, if you do not need the extra protein, adding protein powder to your diet could contribute to weight gain.

For this reason, you should consult with a registered dietitian or other healthcare professional to determine if protein powder is right for you.

It is also important to note that not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Fatty Liver Disease?

As long as you are eating a balanced diet – getting protein from a variety of sources – the type of protein supplement you use does not matter.

Ingredients do matter, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that might make fatty liver disease worse.

Among the top offenders are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives can alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which has been strongly linked to the development of fatty liver disease (Biosci Microbiota Food Health, 2019).

Guy dysbiosis affects the production of key metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids, and choline derivatives, which modulate hepatic lipid metabolism and energy expenditure.

In other words, changes to the balance of microbes in your gut can affect how your liver processes fat and uses energy.

⚠️ 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 could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is 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 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. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
2. Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health (Biosci Microbiota Food Health). The role of gut microbiota in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: pathways of mechanisms. 2019.
3. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
4. 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.