What Is the Best Protein Powder for Liver Cirrhosis?

Are you looking for the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis? Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with liver cirrhosis.

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Protein Powder for Liver Cirrhosis

Is Protein Powder Good for Liver Cirrhosis?

First of all, protein powder is not bad for your liver.

One review of experimental and randomized studies did find that frequent whey protein supplementation can cause adverse effects on liver function, but examples of this are rare.

Generally speaking, if it helps you meet your protein needs, the benefits of adding protein powder to your diet outweigh the potential side effects.

Moreover, increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein can help actually improve your liver health.

This is because one of the leading causes of liver liver cirrhosis is fatty liver disease.

Fatty liver disease is caused by the storage of fat in the liver, and although the exact cause is unknown, it is strongly associated with obesity.

It follows that losing just 10% of your body weight can significantly reduce liver fat and improve scarring. 

Weight loss is thus key to preventing and/or managing fatty liver disease.

And adding protein powder to your diet can support weight loss because:

• Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it keeps you feeling full for longer than fats and carbs, which curbs cravings and overeating.
• Consuming protein increases thermogenesis, or your metabolic rate and energy expenditure. 
• Consuming protein, in addition to lifting weights, can help you build muscle, and people with more muscle mass have faster metabolisms.

In short, protein powder is not bad for your liver; in fact, it might be good for it.

Moreover, people with liver cirrhosis need extra protein to help repair damaged liver cells and prevent muscle wasting (sarcopenia).

It is recommended that adults with cirrhosis consume 1.2-1.5 grams of protein kilogram of body weight per day, which is well over 50% more than what most adults need.

Eating this much protein, especially if you have dietary restrictions, can be challenging.

And if you need help, adding protein powder to your diet can be a great idea.

Protein powder can be easily incorporated into smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes, making it a create way to bridge nutritional gaps, prevent malnutrition, and manage liver cirrhosis.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Liver Cirrhosis?

As long as you are eating a balanced diet (getting protein from a variety of sources), the type of protein powder you use does not matter.

The ingredients in your protein powder do matter, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients known to cause painful digestive issues and even long-term gut health problems.

Among top offenders are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates. 

Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome.

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, which has been linked to the development of several chronic liver diseases.

Although this link is not yet fully understood, it is thought that increased intestinal permeability, chronic inflammation, and changes in short-chain fatty acid production are to blame.

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 it in nature, or make it at home, it is a food additive.

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 your 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 only choose protein powders made from whole food protein sources.

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Drink Wholesome Makes the Best Protein Powder for Liver Cirrhosis

Finding a protein powder free from food additives and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

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

We make the best protein powder for liver cirrhosis 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.

For this reason, our customers experience fewer digestive issues with our Protein Powder than with any other type of protein supplement.

Order Samples to see for yourself.