How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Perimenopause

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake during perimenopause.

Last Updated
Jan 31, 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 for Perimenopause

Is Protein Powder Good for Perimenopause?

Perimenopause, often referred to as the “menopausal transition,” is the period of time leading up to menopause – the point at which a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months.

Perimenopause typically starts in a woman’s 40s, but can begin in her 30s or even earlier for some individuals.

During perimenopause, a woman’s body undergoes hormonal changes, particularly a gradual decline in her production of estrogen.

These changes can lead to various emotional and physical symptoms, including weight gain and sarcopenia (muscle loss) (J Midlife Health, 2019; Iran J Public Health, 2021).

It is important to note that not all women experience perimenopausal symptoms, and the severity symptoms can vary widely from one person to another.

Is it also worth noting that there are various treatments and lifestyle changes that can help alleviate perimenopausal symptoms and improve overall health during this transition.

For example, in order to prevent or at least mitigate weight gain and muscle loss, many women turn to their diet.

Research shows that increasing the percentage of your calories that come from high protein foods can both prevent weight gain and support muscle building (BJOG, 2023; J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 2022).

• Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it makes you feel full for longer than fats and carbs, which curbs cravings and overeating (Am J Clin Nutr, 2008).
• Digesting protein increases thermogenesis, or your metabolic rate and energy expenditure (J Am Coll Nutr, 2004).
• Research also shows that eating protein and lifting weights can help you build muscle, which is good for both preventing sarcopenia and supporting weight loss because people with more muscle mass burn more calories (Nutrients, 2019).

It follows that you should aim to eat 16-19% more protein during perimenopause, which can be hard for some women, especially those with dietary restrictions (BJOG, 2023).

This is where protein powder can help.

Adding a protein powder to your diet is an easy way to increase your protein intake and ensure that you are meeting your protein needs.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Perimenopause?

Many protein powders contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

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

🚫 Avoid food additives

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

These shifts, known gut dysbiosis, can impair weight loss and prevent muscle building (Gut Microbes, 2018; PLoS One, 2024) through several mechanisms.

For example, it can influence energy metabolism and hunger regulation in ways that can make losing weight considerably harder.

It can reduce the production of beneficial microbial metabolites and disrupt bile acid signaling, both of which can impair muscle protein synthesis.

⚠️ 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 could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You should also consider avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein powders are made from one or both of these 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 do not digest them in the same way that you do 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 (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

So instead of ultra-processed protein concentrates or isolates, look for whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Journal of Mid-Life Health (J Midlife Health). Weight Management Module for Perimenopausal Women: A Practical Guide for Gynecologists. 2019.
2. Iranian Journal of Public Health (Iran J Public Health). Menopause and the Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Women. 2021.
3. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (BJOG). Associations between macronutrient intake and weight gain during the menopausal transition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2023.
4. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle (J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle). Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults.. 2022.
5. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr). Protein, weight management, and satiety.. 2008.
6. Journal of the American College of Nutrition (J Am Coll Nutr). The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review.. 2004.
7. Nutrients (Nutrients). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. 2019.
8. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
9. Gut Microbes (Gut Microbes). The human gut microbiota: Metabolism and perspective in obesity.. 2018.
10. PloS One (PLoS One). Gut microbial composition is altered in sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies.. 2024.
11. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
12. 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.

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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.