drink wholesome makes the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis with a short list of simple ingredients. It is perfect for people who want a protein boost without the extra processing and added junk. Order samples to see if our protein powders are right for you.
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Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN
The liver is the largest solid organ in the body. It performs many important bodily functions, including removing toxins from the blood. Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The scar tissue prevents the liver working properly.
Causes of cirrhosis include alcohol abuse, fatty liver disease, and hepatitis. There are no treatments for cirrhosis, but you can treat many of the diseases that cause it. This can prevent your cirrhosis from getting worse. You can also manage cirrhosis through diet. Liver patients should aim to eat healthy, nutritionally balanced meals whenever possible, and avoid foods and drinks that can damage the liver, such as alcohol and raw or undercooked seafood and meat.
Most protein powders are not bad for your liver. A systematic review of experimental and randomized studies found that frequent whey protein supplementation can cause adverse effects on liver function. That said, examples of this are rare, and only pertain to whey protein.
In many cases, protein powder can help improve your liver health. One of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis is fatty liver disease, a common condition caused by the storage of fat in the liver. Although the exact cause of fatty liver disease is unknown, it is strongly associated with obesity.
Weight loss is thus key to preventing complications of fatty liver disease. A landmark study found that losing 10% of your body weight can reduce liver fat and improve scarring.
In order to lose weight, you have to maintain a calorie deficit – eat fewer calories than you burn. One of the best ways to do this is by increasing the percentage of your calories that come from high protein foods. High protein foods are among the most satiating foods, meaning they keep you feeling full for longer. Satiety discourages cravings, snacking, and overeating. So, replacing a meal or part of a meal with a protein shake will make you feel fuller, helping you lose weight and reduce liver fat.
Aside from possibly whey protein, any type of protein (pea, egg white, etc.) is safe for someone with liver cirrhosis. That said, not all protein powders are created equal. Many protein powders are full of added emulsifiers, thickeners, sugar substitutes, and flavorings, which can cause painful side effects and long-term gut health issues. Specifically, food additives can disrupt the function and composition of your gut microbiome – the community of microorganisms living in your gut.
Changes to your gut microbiome are associated with a number of negative outcomes, including the development of liver diseases. The latter happens through multiple mechanisms including increased intestinal permeability, chronic inflammation, the production of short-chain fatty acids, and changes in metabolism.
Basically, ingredients that mess with your gut can accelerate liver cirrhosis and other liver problems. This means that the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis is made with a short list of simple, gut-friendly ingredients. Keep reading to learn more.
One of the reasons why we make the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis is that we do not use any food additives whatsoever. Even tiny amounts of additives like these can cause digestive discomfort, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.
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
Food additives are not real food, which makes them hard to digest. They consequently hang around in your gut, feeding your gut bacteria. As they eat, gut bacteria release gas, causing bloating, flatulence, and stomach pain. Gas can also slow down food as it moves through your colon, which can lead to constipation.
Sometimes, partially digested additives make your colon absorb too much water or prevent it from absorbing water. This can lead to osmotic diarrhea, which might explain why protein shakes make you run to the bathroom.
What is more, regularly eating food additives can disrupt the regulatory pathways in your intestines, leading to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory conditions. This is a big concern for people with liver cirrhosis because chronic inflammation is ongoing in liver cirrhosis and associated with poor outcomes.
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
Another reason why we make the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis is that we do not use dairy-based proteins like whey. Not only has whey been linked to liver damage, but it is also known for causing digestive issues, especially for people with lactose intolerance. Most adults suffer from some degree of lactose intolerance, meaning they do not have enough of the enzymes needed to fully digest lactose (the sugar in dairy). As you just learned, the incomplete digestion of food can lead to side effects like bloating and diarrhea.
A final reason why we make the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Almost every other protein powder is made from one or both of these protein sources. Concentrates and isolates have been stripped of everything except the protein. They undergo intense mechanical and chemical processing, sometimes with solvents like hexane. As a result, they look almost nothing like real food.
Your gut is built to break down minimally or unprocessed foods, not highly-processed protein concentrates or isolates. Hence, research is showing that regularly consuming ingredients like these can change the makeup of your gut microbiome. As you now know, changes to your gut microbiome should not be taken lightly.
Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis with egg whites and almonds. Minimally-processed ingredients like these are gut-friendly alternatives to protein concentrates and isolates.
Unlike isolates and concentrates, egg whites and almonds contain enzymes that make them easy to break down. Plus, egg whites are low in fiber, low in FODMAPs, alkaline (for a healthy gut pH), and bioactive (good for good gut bacteria growth). Many happy customers have told us they experience fewer digestive problems with our egg white protein powder compared to other protein supplements.
For those who cannot eat eggs, our vegan almond protein powder is an excellent plant-based alternative. Almonds are prebiotic, meaning they support a diverse gut microbiome. They also promote regular and healthy bowel movements. In short, our protein powders, free additives and dairy and made from gut-friendly real foods, are the best protein powders for liver cirrhosis.
“I was looking for a protein powder for liver disease, and found Drink Wholesome on Google. I really like the taste and how it makes me feel. Compared to other protein powders, it’s not nearly as sweet. It’s also much less grainy that some of the vegan ones I tried.” – Colin
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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
