How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Osteoporosis
📌 Overview and Key Takeaways
This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide to finding the best protein powder for osteoporosis.
Discover how to safely meet your daily protein needs while managing osteoporosis.
Protein Powder for Osteoporosis
Is Protein Powder Good for Osteoporosis?
Yes, protein powder can be a great addition to your diet if you have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that makes your bones weak and fragile.
The risk of developing it is shaped by several factors, including sex, age, genetics, lifestyle, and certain medical conditions.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most common form, driven by estrogen deficiency after menopause (NEJM, 2023).
Treatment usually combines lifestyle changes, such as exercise and a healthy diet, with medications.
Consuming enough protein might help prevent or at least slow the development of osteoporosis (Osteoporos Int, 2018)
Specifically, adequate dietary protein supports bone density and appears to modestly reduce bone loss and hip fracture risk (J Am Coll Nutr, 2017).
It is important to note that these outcomes are conditional on sufficient calcium (and vitamin D) intake.
The general recommended daily protein intake for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day, but for bone health in older adults, 1.0-1.2 g/kg/day is recommended (Clin Endocrinol, 2025).
Daily Protein Intake Calculator
You should try to get your dietary protein from foods such as dairy, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Getting enough protein this way can be challenging, however, especially for people with dietary or other lifestyle restrictions, which where protein powder can help.
Protein powder can be mixed with just milk or water, or easily incorporated into smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes.
This convenience and versatility is hard to beat, especially for older adults.
That said, not all protein powders are created equal.
What Is the Best Protein Powder for Osteoporosis?
As long as you are eating a balanced diet – getting protein from a variety of sources – any type of protein shake or powder can help you meet your total daily protein needs.
But ingredients do matter.
Many protein shakes and powders contain ingredients that might indirectly contribute to osteoporosis.
Among the top offenders are artificial and ultra-processed food additives.
🚫 Avoid Food Additives
Regularly consuming emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives might alter the makeup of your gut microbiome – the community of bacteria and other microbes that live in your digestive tract (North Clin Istanb, 2020).
These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been linked to osteoporosis (Front Immunol, 2026).
A growing body of research links imbalances in gut bacteria to lower bone mineral density and higher bone turnover, operating through immune, endocrine, metabolic, and barrier-related pathways collectively termed the “gut–bone axis” (J Endocrinol Invest, 2026).
It is important to note that much of this research is still emerging, so more studies are needed to clarify these relationships.
That said, the preliminary findings suggest that because protein shakes and powders are something you consume regularly, if not every day, the cumulative effects of small amounts of potentially harmful ingredients is worth taking seriously.
⚠️ Here is a list of the most common additives in protein shakes and powders:
- 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
I also recommend avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.
Most protein shakes and powders 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 you break them down.
You therefore might not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.
For example, one study shows that regularly consuming protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018).
Another study shows that it could cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).
Although further research is needed, you can play it safe by choosing protein shakes and powders made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.
Our customers find them to be more gut-friendly.
Order Samples to see for yourself.
Product Quiz
Sources
- The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Postmenopausal Osteoporosis. 2023.
- Osteoporosis International (Osteoporos Int). Benefits and safety of dietary protein for bone health-an expert consensus paper endorsed by the European Society for Clinical and Economical Aspects of Osteopororosis, Osteoarthritis, and Musculoskeletal Diseases and by the International Osteoporosis Foundation. 2018.
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition (J Am Coll Nutr). Dietary Protein Intake above the Current RDA and Bone Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2017.
- Clinical Endocrinology (Clin Endocrinol). Bone Health—Across a Woman’s Lifespan. 2025.
- Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
- Frontiers in Immunology (Front Immunol). The role of gut microbiota-immune-endocrine crosstalk in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. 2026.
- Journal of Endocrinological Investigation (J Endocrinol Invest). Osteoporosis from the perspective of the gut-bone axis: gut microbiota, metabolites, and multi-system synergistic regulation. 2026.
- Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
- 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
This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and we regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.
Frequently asked questions
Who Is Drink Wholesome for?
Drink Wholesome makes protein powder for sensitive stomachs, GERD, IBS, and other gut issues. It’s suitable for most food sensitivities, including lactose intolerance, and won’t cause side effects like bloating, constipation, and reflux.
Why Is Drink Wholesome Good for Sensitive Stomachs?
Drink Wholesome is the best protein powder for sensitive stomachs because it’s additive, dairy, and gluten-free. It’s also made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds. Other protein powders are made from ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates, which look nothing like real food.
What’s the Difference Between Protein Powder and Meal Replacement Powder?
Drink Wholesome makes gut-friendly Protein Powders and Meal Replacement Powders. Protein powder is high in protein and low in everything else, whereas meal replacement powder contains fats, carbs, fiber, and protein because it’s intended to replace the nutritional value of a balanced meal.
What’s the Difference Between Almond, Collagen, and Egg White Protein?
We make three types of stomach-friendly Protein Powder: Collagen Protein Powder, Egg White Protein Powder, and Vegan Almond Protein Powder. As long as you get protein from a variety of sources, any type of protein can help you meet your total daily protein needs. In other words, for someone with a balanced diet, there is no advantage to consuming one type of protein over another. Order Samples to see which type you like the most.
Ask Nutrition Coach
If you’re wondering which Drink Wholesome product is best for you, ask our Certified Nutrition Coach. For personalized medical advice, consult your healthcare provider.
High Protein Blueberry Pancakes
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
5 min
SERVES
2
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Drink Wholesome
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup plant milk
- 1 tbsp nut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
In a blender, combine the egg whites, milk, ¼ cup blueberries, and almond butter. Pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add the protein powder and flour. Whisk until smooth. Pour ⅓ cup batter onto a heated and greased (or non-stick) pan to form pancakes. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes. This recipe makes 4-5 pancakes. Then, in a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup blueberries and the maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Plate the pancakes and spoon blueberry jam on top.
Author(s)
Protein Powder Samples
Starting at: $9.99
BUY NOWProtein Calculator
Product Quiz