How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Parkinson’s
📌 Overview and Key Takeaways
This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for Parkinson’s.
Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with Parkinson’s disease.
Protein Powder for Parkinson’s
Is Protein Powder Good for Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that occurs when dopamine-producing neurons in the brain gradually degenerate and die.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control movement, and shortage of it causes symptoms like tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
In addition to movement problems, people with Parkinson’s disease experience symptoms such as cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.
The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is not yet fully understood, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Moreover, there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but treatments such as medication, surgery, and physical therapy can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life for people living with the disease.
Parkinson’s disease also causes non-motor symptoms like weight loss and malnutrition, which can result in increased risk of falling, slower wound healing, and greater risk of getting sick (Front Aging Neurosci, 2018).
Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), which affects more than 80% of patients, is one of the main reasons why people with Parkinson’s lose weight and experience malnutrition.
It follows that protein protein shakes are often used to help Parkinson’s patients meet their nutritional needs.
As you might imagine, having a convenient, drinkable meal on hand is helpful for someone with trouble swallowing.
Protein powder can also be quickly added to easy-to-swallow meals such as oatmeal and pudding.
Keep in mind that individuals with Parkinson’s should be mindful of their protein intake, as it can affect the absorption of levodopa, a medication commonly used to manage Parkinson’s symptoms.
Levodopa is converted to dopamine in the brain and dietary protein can interfere with this conversion, reducing the effectiveness of the medication.
Parkinson’s patients who are taking levodopa might therefore need to limit their protein intake to the evening when a slower response to medication may not be as important.
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What Is the Best Protein Powder for Parkinson’s Disease?
The type of protein powder you use does not matter when it comes to Parkinson’s, but ingredients do matter.
In fact, many protein powders contain ingredients that might indirectly contribute to the development and progression of Parkinson’s.
Among these potentially problematic ingredients are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.
🚫 Avoid Food Additives
Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners can alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).
Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which has been linked to neurological diseases like Parkinson’s (Front Neurol, 2019).
Although more research is needed, it is thought increased intestinal permeability, chronic gut and systemic inflammation, and neuroinflammatory responses caused by gut dysbiosis are to blame (Neuroscience, 2025).
⚠️ 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.
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Sources
- Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Front Aging Neurosci). Weight Loss and Malnutrition in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects. 2018.
- Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
- Frontiers in Neurology (Front Neurol). The Role of the Gut Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease. 2019.
- Neuroscience (Neuroscience). Parkinson’s disease and the gut microbiota connection: unveiling dysbiosis and exploring therapeutic horizons.. 2025.
- 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 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.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Drink Wholesome for?
Drink Wholesome makes minimally-processed protein powder for sensitive stomachs. Because our protein powder is additive, dairy, and gluten-free and made from a short list of simple ingredients, it’s a great option for people with lactose intolerance, IBS, GERD, and SIBO.
Why is Drink Wholesome easy to digest?
No Dairy
Drink Wholesome is made without whey and casein, which often contain lactose, a sugar most people can’t fully digest. Some caseins also release a bioactive peptide during digestion that has been linked to digestive issues in some individuals.
No Additives
Drink Wholesome is made without food additives. Regularly eating certain emulsifiers, thickeners, and other ultra-processed additives can contribute to gut dysbiosis, which has been linked to chronic digestive issues.
Whole Food Protein
Other protein powders are made from ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of non-protein components that promote digestion. Drink Wholesome, on the other hand, is made from whole food protein sources, which might be more gut-friendly.
Collagen vs egg white vs almond protein powder?
We make three types of minimally-processed Protein Powder for sensitive stomachs: Collagen Protein Powder, Egg White Protein Powder, and Vegan Almond Protein Powder. As long as you eat a balanced diet, any type of protein powder can help you meet your protein needs. So just pick the type that best suits your personal preferences.
Ask our dietitian.
If you’re wondering which of our products is best for you, ask our Registered Dietitian. They’ll reply via email within 24 hours.
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.
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