How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Fatty Liver
📌 Overview and Key Takeaways
This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for fatty liver disease.
Discover how to safely meet your protein needs while managing fatty liver disease.
Protein Powder for Fatty Liver Disease
Is Protein Powder Good for Fatty Liver Disease?
Protein powder can be a great option if you have fatty liver disease and struggle to meet your protein needs, but the ingredients matter.
Fatty liver disease, also called hepatic steatosis, is a condition marked by too much fat stored in the liver cells.
There are two main types:
- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD): Drinking too much alcohol can overwhelm the liver’s ability to break down alcohol, which might lead to a buildup of fat in the liver cells.
- Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): NAFLD is closely linked to obesity, insulin resistance (when your cells do not respond well to insulin), and metabolic syndrome, all of which might contribute to a buildup of fat in the liver cells.
If left untreated, fatty liver disease might progress to more serious conditions, including liver fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis (severe scarring), and even liver cancer.
The treatment and management of fatty liver disease depend on the underlying cause.
For alcoholic fatty liver disease, reducing or eliminating alcohol is essential.
For non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, healthcare providers often recommend lifestyle and dietary changes.
In fact, NAFLD might be improved and even reversed by dietary changes that promote weight loss (AGA, 2021).
This is because weight loss might benefit not only your waistline, but also your liver health.
One dietary change that might support weight loss is increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein.
- Protein might help you feel full for longer than fats and carbohydrates, which could curb cravings and overeating.
- Protein has a higher thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates, meaning your body might burn more calories digesting it.
- Protein, along with resistance training, might help you build muscle, and people with more muscle mass tend to have faster metabolisms.
Most people can get more than enough protein from foods like dairy, eggs, and meat.
Some people, however, such as those with dietary restrictions, might need extra help.
This is where protein powder, which makes consuming protein easy, can come in handy.
You can mix protein powder with just milk or water to make a protein shake, or add it 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 talk with a registered dietitian or other healthcare professional to decide if protein powder is right for you.
It is also important to know that not all protein powders are created equal.
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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 – any type of protein shake or powder can help you meet your total daily protein needs.
Ingredients do matter, however.
Many protein shakes and powders contain ingredients that might indirectly contribute to painful side effects and even long-term health problems.
Among the top offenders are artificial and ultra-processed food additives.
🚫 Avoid Food Additives
Regularly consuming emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives might alter the makeup and function of your gut microbiome – the community of microbes living in your digestive tract (North Clin Istanb, 2020).
These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been linked to the development of fatty liver disease (Biosci Microbiota Food Health, 2019).
Specifically, gut dysbiosis might disrupt how your liver processes fat and energy (Front Microbiol, 2025).
It is important to note that much of this research is still emerging, so more studies are needed to clarify these relationships.
That said, the preliminary findings suggest that because protein shakes and powders are something you consume regularly, if not every day, the cumulative effects of small amounts of potentially harmful ingredients is worth taking seriously.
⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein shakes and powders:
- 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
I also recommend avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.
Most protein shakes and powders 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 you break them down.
You therefore might not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.
For example, one study shows that regularly consuming protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018).
Another study shows that it could cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).
Although further research is needed, you can play it safe by choosing protein shakes and powders made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.
Our customers find them to be more gut-friendly.
Order Samples to see for yourself.
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Sources
- American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). AGA Clinical Practice Update on Lifestyle Modification Using Diet and Exercise to Achieve Weight Loss in the Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Expert Review. 2021
- Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
- 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.
- Frontiers in Microbiology (Front Microbiol). Unlocking the gut-liver axis: microbial contributions to the pathogenesis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. 2025.
- Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
- 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
This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.
Frequently asked questions
Who Is Drink Wholesome for?
Drink Wholesome makes protein powder for sensitive stomachs, GERD, IBS, and other gut issues. It’s suitable for most food sensitivities, including lactose intolerance, and won’t cause side effects like bloating, constipation, and reflux.
Why Is Drink Wholesome Good for Sensitive Stomachs?
Drink Wholesome is the best protein powder for sensitive stomachs because it’s additive, dairy, and gluten-free. It’s also made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds. Other protein powders are made from ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates, which look nothing like real food.
What’s the Difference Between Protein Powder and Meal Replacement Powder?
Drink Wholesome makes gut-friendly Protein Powders and Meal Replacement Powders. Protein powder is high in protein and low in everything else, whereas meal replacement powder contains fats, carbs, fiber, and protein because it’s intended to replace the nutritional value of a balanced meal.
What’s the Difference Between Almond, Collagen, and Egg White Protein?
We make three types of stomach-friendly Protein Powder: Collagen Protein Powder, Egg White Protein Powder, and Vegan Almond Protein Powder. As long as you get protein from a variety of sources, any type of protein can help you meet your total daily protein needs. In other words, for someone with a balanced diet, there is no advantage to consuming one type of protein over another. Order Samples to see which type you like the most.
Ask Nutrition Coach
If you’re wondering which Drink Wholesome product is best for you, ask our Certified Nutrition Coach. For personalized medical advice, consult your healthcare provider.
High Protein Blueberry Pancakes
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
5 min
SERVES
2
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Drink Wholesome
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup plant milk
- 1 tbsp nut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
In a blender, combine the egg whites, milk, ¼ cup blueberries, and almond butter. Pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add the protein powder and flour. Whisk until smooth. Pour ⅓ cup batter onto a heated and greased (or non-stick) pan to form pancakes. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes. This recipe makes 4-5 pancakes. Then, in a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup blueberries and the maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Plate the pancakes and spoon blueberry jam on top.
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