What is the best protein powder for stomach issues?

drink wholesome is the best protein powder for stomach issues.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

Can protein powder cause stomach issues?

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If you experience stomach issues frequently, you are not alone. In the United States, it is estimated that over 10 percent of the adult population suffers from a digestive disease. IBS is the most common digestive disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists and primary care physicians, with roughly 1 in 20 adults diagnosed.

Other common digestive diseases include Candidiasis, Crohn’s, diverticulitis, gastritis, gastroparesis, GERD, leaky gut, IBD, SIBO, and ulcerative colitis. The causes of digestive disease vary from person to person, and include things like poor diet, stress, aging, and genetics. People suffering from digestive diseases regularly experience symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting.

Stomach issues are disorders of the digestive tract, a complex system that starts in your mouth and ends in your colon. The digestive tract is responsible for breaking down food in order to absorb nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for the body’s use. It follows that many people with stomach issues have trouble digesting food, and therefore absorbing nutrients. In the long term, this can lead to malnutrition and weight loss, which is one of the main reasons why people with stomach issues turn to protein powder.

Protein powder is an easy way to boost your intake and ensure that you are meeting your protein goals. It can be added to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, and even baking. That said, not all protein powders are created equal, and many cause stomach issues. 

What is the best protein powder for stomach issues?

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Your average protein powder is not easy to digest, and can cause uncomfortable side effects. This generally has nothing to do with the protein, but is a problem caused by added ingredients like thickeners, flavors, and sweeteners. If you are sick of protein powders that send you running to the bathroom, you have come to the right place. In this article, I will explain why many protein powders are not gut-friendly, and how to pick one that is.

Generally speaking, you should look for a protein powder made with a short list of ingredients, the shorter the better. This is because the fewer ingredients your protein powder has, the less likely it is to contain ingredients that can upset your stomach. You should also look for a protein powder made with simple ingredients. The closer your ingredients are to nature, the easier they are to digest. Keep reading to learn more.

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make the best protein powder for stomach issues is that we do not use food additives. Most other protein powders, on the contrary, flood their formulas with food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and flavors. These added ingredients can wreak havoc on your digestive system, causing gastrointestinal (GI) side effects such as bloating, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence, especially for those already dealing with stomach issues.

Additives do not look like real food and are only partially broken down during digestion. As a result, they linger in the gut, giving rise to two possible scenarios: either your intestines absorb excess water, leading to diarrhea, or the additives feed for your gut bacteria, causing a surge in gas production. Excessive gas in the gastrointestinal tract can trigger uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and even constipation.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:

acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol

The real concern associated with the consumption of additives lies in the potential long-term repercussions. Regularly eating additives can throw off regulatory pathways in your intestines, which heightens the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other systemic inflammatory disorders. Moreover, food additives, particularly artificial sweeteners, can disturb the delicate balance of your gut microbiome, which in turn, impacts your digestion and ability to absorb of nutrients.

our ingredients: 

egg whites, coconut, maple sugar, vanilla

the alternative:

Protein Matrix Comprised of (Whey Protein Concentrate,  Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate, Egg Albumen, Glutamine Peptides), Polydextrose, Sunflower Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids,  Sodium Caseinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Yellow 5, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Papain, Bromelain

drink wholesome is dairy-free.

Another reason why we make the best protein powder for stomach issues is that we do not use dairy-based proteins. Conversely, many protein powders use whey and/or casein protein, which are byproducts of the production of cheese and yogurt. These dairy-based proteins have a notorious reputation for triggering digestive disturbances, particularly among the one-third of adults with lactose intolerance. Individuals with lactose intolerance lack the enzymes needed to fully break down lactose, the sugar in dairy. As highlighted earlier, the incomplete digestion of food can result in unpleasant GI symptoms.

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why we make the best protein powder for stomach issues is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Practically all other protein powders rely on one or both of these protein sources, which are foods stripped of everything but the protein.

The manufacturing of protein concentrates and isolates involves extensive mechanical and chemical processing. In certain instances, chemical solvents, such as hexane, are employed to extract the protein from its original source. As a result, what you mix into your protein shake barely resembles real, whole food.

Your digestive system is specifically designed to handle minimally-processed or unprocessed whole foods, not protein concentrates or isolates. This is why emerging research hints at their potential to disrupt the gut microbiome. An unhealthy gut microbiome, as you just learned, is only going to exacerbate your stomach issues.

Instead of protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best protein powder for stomach issues with egg whites and almonds. The process of converting egg whites into protein powder simply involves pasteurization and drying. Similarly, almonds are just roasted, pressed to remove some oil, and ground. These ingredients, kept in their minimally-processed state, make for protein powders that are easily digestible.

Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, real foods like egg whites and almonds contain enzymes and digestive aids that help with digestion. Egg whites are also low fiber and low FODMAP content, alkaline (meaning they maintain healthy pH levels in your gut), and known to foster the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Feedback from our happy customers unsurprisingly reports fewer digestive issues when consuming our egg white protein powder compared to other protein supplements.

If you follow a vegan lifestyle or cannot consume eggs, our vegan almond protein powder is an excellent alternative. Almonds have prebiotic effects, nourishing the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome. Moreover, they contribute to promoting healthy and regular bowel movements.To summarize, we prioritize the well-being of your gut by subjecting our protein powders to minimal processing.

★★★★★

easy to digest

“I’ve long struggled to find a protein powder that is both easy to digest and tastes great. As someone who struggles with chronic GI symptoms and food intolerances, I was thrilled to find that this product checked all the boxes.” – Kate

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drink wholesome makes the best protein powder for GI issues.