What Is the Best Protein Powder for GERD?

Are you looking for the best protein powder for GERD? Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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Protein Powder for GERD

Is Protein Powder Good for GERD?

Most people have heard of acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which is the backward flow of stomach acid into the esophagus.

Many do not know, however, that severe acid reflux can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

GERD, which is characterized by frequent heartburn, is a common disease that affects about 20% of the population.

Foods known to trigger heartburn delay the digestive process, letting food sit in the stomach longer.

They also cause the esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows stomach acid back up (reflux) into the esophagus. 

The foods you eat affect the amount of acid your stomach produces, so reducing the amount of certain foods you eat, or eliminating them from your diet altogether, is one of the best ways to mitigate GERD symptoms.

An elimination diet can also be used to learn whether or not certain foods cause or aggravate your symptoms, which is important because every stomach is different.

That is, a food that causes GERD symptoms for one person may not cause them for someone else.

It follows that there is considerable controversy over which foods actually cause acid reflux.

There are, however, a few foods that everyone agrees are common acid reflux triggers.

They include, but are not limited to, alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, citrus, tomatoes, garlic, mint, onions, spicy foods, fatty foods, fried foods, and processed foods.

The last one is particularly relevant to our conversation about protein powder.

Adding a scoop of protein powder to your diet is an easy way to fill in nutritional gaps, especially for people with dietary restrictions.

It is important to be mindful of several factors when it comes to making protein powder part of your diet, however, including:

• Portion size: Large portions of any food, including protein powder, can trigger GERD symptoms. It is therefore essential to start with 1 serving, or even 1/2 serving, and slowly increase the serving size.
• Timing: Consuming protein powder too close to bedtime can worsen GERD symptoms for some individuals. Try to finish your last protein shake at least 2-3 hours before lying down.
• Preparation: How you prepare your protein shake can impact GERD symptoms. For example, using water instead of cow’s milk as a base might be gentler on your stomach.
• Type of protein: Certain types of dietary protein, such as whey protein, can aggravate GERD symptoms. Choosing an alkaline protein source, like egg whites, on the other hand, can reduce the risk of reflux.
• Added ingredients: Some protein powders contain additives that can trigger GERD symptoms. It is therefore best to prioritize protein powders with a short list of simple ingredients.
• Personal tolerance: As you just learned, what works for one person with GERD might not work for another. It is therefore important to pay attention to how your body responds to different types and brands of protein powder, and adjust your intake accordingly.

Before making any big changes to your diet, especially if you have GERD or other digestive issues, it is recommended to consult with a registered dietitian.

He or she can provide personalized recommendations and help you choose the right protein powder for your needs.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for GERD? 

Not all protein powders are created equal.

In fact, most protein powders contain ingredients known to cause or exacerbate reflux.

Here are a few of the top ingredients to avoid:

Avoid Food Additives

Most protein powders contain a cocktail of food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and sugar substitutes.

For someone with GERD, ingredients like these are problematic for several reasons. 

First of all, food additives are hard to digest because they look little to nothing like real food.

This can trigger the overproduction of stomach acid and feed your gut bacteria, which produce gas as they eat.

And excessive intestinal gas can put pressure on the small intestine and stomach, pushing stomach acid into the esophagus and causing reflux.

Food additives can also alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms living in your gut).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in your gut microbiota, which is linked to the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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

Basically, if you could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it should not be in your protein powder. 

Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

You should also avoid dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, which contain lactose, a sugar most adults cannot fully digest.

Keep in mind that you may be sensitive to dairy-based proteins, even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

Most protein supplements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, 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 it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to gut health.

In fact, studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates can disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut.

So, pending further research, it is recommended that you stick to whole food protein sources when choosing a GERD protein powder.

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Drink Wholesome Is the Best Protein Powder for GERD

Finding a protein powder free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

In fact, 99% of protein supplements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients, which is why we created Drink Wholesome.

We make the best protein powder for GERD because we use a short list of simple ingredients.

Our Ingredients

egg whites

coconut

vanilla

monk fruit

NOT Our Ingredients

• acacia gum

• acesulfame potassium

• artificial flavors

• carrageenan

• erythritol

• guar gum

• inulin

• maltodextrin

• 'natural' flavors

• silica

• soy lecithin

• sucralose

• xanthan gum

• xylitol

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestive issues with our Protein Powder than with any other type of protein supplement.

Order samples to see for yourself.