How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Kidney Patients

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with kidney disease.

Last Updated
Feb 4, 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 Kidney Patients

How Does Kidney Disease Affect My Protein Needs?

Protein deficiency is common in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to:

• Reduced Protein Intake: Many kidney patients are advised to limit their protein intake.
• Increased Protein Loss: Certain kidney conditions, like nephrotic syndrome, can cause protein loss through urine.
• Increased Catabolism: Chronic inflammation and metabolic changes driven by CKD can increase the breakdown of proteins in the body.

It is therefore important that kidney patients be mindful of how much protein they consume.

That said, it is possible for kidney patients to consume too much protein, which could lead to kidney damage.

When protein is digested, it is broken down into amino acids, which are used by the body to build and repair muscle tissues, among other things.

Excess amino acids (those that are not used by the body) are excreted by the kidneys.

Eating too much protein thus forces your kidneys to work harder, which can lead to kidney damage over time if your kidney function is impaired.

A high protein diet can also increase the levels of nitrogenous waste products in the blood, which can cause kidney damage (J Am Soc Nephrol, 2020).

Individuals with kidney conditions should thus be mindful of how much protein they eat and only use protein supplements when absolutely necessary.

They should also consult a medical professional before making significant changes to their diets.

How Much Protein Do Kidney Patients Need?

Protein needs vary significantly based on individual kidney function and treatment plans.

• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) – Early to Moderate Stages: In the early to moderate stages of CKD, kidney patients need to limit their protein intake as the kidneys are less effective at filtering waste products from protein metabolism at this time. The recommended protein intake for non-dialysis kidney patients is 0.6-0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day with > 50% HBV proteins (Nutrients, 2017). HBV stands for high biological value and refers to protein sources such as eggs, fish, poultry, meat and dairy.
• End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) – On Dialysis: For kidney patients on dialysis, a daily protein intake in the range of 1-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight is recommended (Nutrients, 2024).

In short, kidney patients on dialysis typically need more protein than those in earlier stages of CKD.

Dialysis removes waste products from the blood, but it also removes amino acids.

To compensate for these losses and to prevent muscle wasting and malnutrition, some kidney patients need to consume extra protein (Nutrients, 2017).

Is Protein Powder Recommended for Kidney Patients?

First of all, kidney patients should only use protein supplements when their daily protein requirements are not being met.

But as you just learned, kidney patients undergoing dialysis often need extra protein to compensate for losses due to dialysis, which is where protein supplements can help.

Adding the protein powder to your diet is an easy way to ensure you are eating enough protein and curbing muscle wasting and malnutrition.

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

It also makes it easy to measure exactly how much protein you are eating.

Not all protein powders are created equal, however.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Kidney Patients?

Research suggests that Egg White Protein and Bovine Collagen Protein are among the best protein sources for kidneys, especially those undergoing dialysis treatment.

This is because dialysis patients have high protein needs, but need to limit their phosphorus and potassium intakes.

Both bovine collagen and egg white are low in phosphorus and potassium.

In fact, egg whites are not only low in phosphorus, but can even lower phosphorus levels in the blood (J Ren Care, 2011).

Egg whites do contain a moderate amount of sodium, however, so if this is a concern for you, then bovine collagen protein powder may be the best option.

Moreover, if you need to limit your potassium intake, it is recommended you use unflavored egg white or collagen protein powder.

Added ingredients tend to contribute phosphorus to a formula, so it may be best to keep it simple!

All that said, the amount of egg whites or bovine collagen allowed in your diet is dependent on your individual nutritional status, so consult with a trusted healthcare professional before adding protein powder to your diet.

Which Protein Powder Ingredients Are Bad for Kidneys?

Many protein powders are made with added ingredients that could cause long term kidney problems.

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

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

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

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, might contribute to the development of kidney disease (Front Med, 2021).

Imbalances in gut bacteria can result in the increased production of uremic toxins, which, in turn, can exacerbate local and systemic kidney inflammation.

⚠️ 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.

It is worth mentioning that protein supplements like NOVASOURCE and Nepro, which are made specifically for kidney patients on dialysis, are full of food additives, not to mention ultra-processed ingredients like corn syrup and seed oils.

In other words, although these products were specifically designed to help meet the nutritional needs of people on dialysis, they are not something I would recommend feeding to a healthy person, let alone a kidney patient.

🚫 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. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (J Am Soc Nephrol). The Effects of High-Protein Diets on Kidney Health and Longevity. 2020.
2. Nutrients (Nutrients). Protein Nutrition and Malnutrition in CKD and ESRD. 2017.
3. Nutrients (Nutrients). Nutritional Management of Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease on Conservative Treatment: An Italian Dietetic Position Paper. 2024.
4. Journal of Renal Care (J Ren Care). DIETARY EGG WHITES FOR PHOSPHORUS CONTROL IN MAINTENANCE HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS: A PILOT STUDY. 2011.
5. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
6. Frontiers in Medicine (Front Med). Microbiome–Metabolome Reveals the Contribution of Gut–Kidney Axis on Kidney Disease. 2021.
7. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
8. 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.