How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Multiple Sclerosis

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for multiple sclerosis.

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with MS.

Last Updated
Jan 29, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

Jennifer Fossett is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein powder and multiple sclerosis

Is Protein Powder Good for Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord.

It is considered to be an autoimmune disorder, as the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers called myelin.

Myelin helps in the transmission of nerve signals, and when it is damaged, the communication between the brain and the rest of the body is disrupted.

The exact cause of MS is still unknown, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, muscle weakness or stiffness, problems with coordination and balance, numbness or tingling sensations, blurred vision, dizziness, cognitive impairments, and emotional changes.

Keep in mind that the symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary widely from person to person, depending on the location and extent of the nerve damage.

While there is currently no cure for MS, there are treatments available that can help manage the symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, and improve the quality of life for people with MS.

These treatments may include medications and lifestyle changes that reduce inflammation, help manage symptoms, and modify the immune system response.

Some people with multiple sclerosis claim that following a special diet helps them feel better and manage their symptoms.

And although this may be true, there is not enough evidence to support any particular diet for people with MS.

That said, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is generally recommended.

While there is no specific protein requirement for individuals with multiple sclerosis, eating enough protein is essential for tissue repair, muscle maintenance, and immune system support.

What constitutes “enough” protein varies from person to person, but you need to consume at least 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.

For some individuals, this can be challenging.

• Some multiple sclerosis patients have to limit their consumption of high protein foods like dairy and red meat.
• Some MS patients experience dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and may need soft or liquid protein sources.
• Moving around the kitchen and preparing meals can be difficult with multiple sclerosis.

In short, if you cannot easily meet your protein needs by eating foods like dairy, eggs, fish, legumes, meat, nuts, and seeds, protein powder might be a great addition to your diet.

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

This is especially for someone who has trouble preparing or swallowing food.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Multiple Sclerosis?

Not all protein powders are created equal.

As long as you are eating a balanced diet – getting protein from a variety of sources – the type of protein supplement you use does not matter.

Ingredients do matter, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that might contribute to the progression of MS.

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

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other additives can alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which has been linked to the development of multiple sclerosis (Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med, 2018).

Although the relationship between gut dysbiosis and MS is complex and not fully understood, it is possible that the immune dysregulation, increased intestinal permeability, and a pro-inflammatory environment created by dysbiosis contributes to the inflammation characteristic of MS.

⚠️ 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.

🚫 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. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
2. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine (Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med). The Gut Microbiome and Multiple Sclerosis. 2018.
3. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
4. 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.