What is the best protein powder for perimenopause?

How to pick a protein powder for perimenopause

What is perimenopause?

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Perimenopause, often referred to as the “menopausal transition,” is the period of time leading up to menopause in a woman’s life. Menopause is the point at which a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months, and marks the end of her reproductive years. 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 a loss of muscle mass.

It is important to note that not all women experience perimenopausal symptoms, and the severity symptoms can vary widely from one person to another. If you are experiencing symptoms during perimenopause, you should consult your healthcare provider for guidance. There are various treatments and lifestyle changes that can help alleviate perimenopausal symptoms and improve overall health during this transition.

Should you use protein powder during perimenopause?

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As mentioned earlier, weight gain and sarcopenia (muscle loss) are common during perimenopause. In order to prevent or at least mitigate these changes, many women turn to their diet.

Research shows that increasing the percentage of your calories that come from high protein foods can reduce or even prevent weight gain. This happens for two reasons. Firstly, high protein foods are among the most satiating foods, meaning they keep you feeling full for longer. Feeling full (satiated) means you are less likely to fall victim to cravings, unnecessary snacking, overeating. Eating more high protein foods also helps you build and maintain muscle mass. This is not only great for women who are experiencing sarcopenia, but it also helps with weight loss as people with more muscle burn more calories.

Women should aim to eat 16-19% more protein during perimenopause. which can be hard for some women, especially those with dietary restrictions. This is where protein powder can help. Adding a scoop of protein powder to your diet is an easy way to boost your protein intake and ensure that you are meeting your protein needs. That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

drink wholesome is the best protein powder for perimenopause

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Many protein powders, including those marketed to women, are made with a cocktail of ingredients that can cause painful side effects and long-term gut health problems. In particular, additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, flavorings, and sugar substitutes can alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut. This is problematic for several reasons.

For starters, menopause is already associated with decreased gut microbiome diversity. The health of your gut microbiome also plays an important role in both health and disease. In fact, gut health is a well-recognized factor in the development of obesity and sarcopenia. Although a deeper understanding of the gut microbiome’s relationship to both conditions is needed, it is safe to say that prioritizing your gut health during menopause is important. This is why you need a protein powder with a short list of simple ingredients.

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is additive-free

One of the reasons why we make the best protein powder for perimenopause is that we do not use food additives. Many additives can cause unpleasant side effects, especially if you already have a sensitive stomach (which many perimenopausal women do).

Firstly, additives are hard to break down because they are not real food. This means they spend extra time in your gut, feeding your hungry gut bacteria. Gut bacteria release gas as they eat, so more time to munch away means more gas.

As you might imagine, excess intestinal gas can cause bloating, flatulence, and stomach pain. It can also slow down food as it moves through the colon, leading to constipation.

In some cases, partially digested food additives have the exact opposite effect, causing your colon to absorb extra water. This could trigger osmotic diarrhea.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein 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, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, ‘natural’ flavors, rice bran extract, rice dextrin, rice hulls, rosemary extract, silica, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, soluble corn fiber, soy lecithin, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, tocopherols, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, xylitol, zinc oxide

Regularly eating food additives can also disturb regulatory pathways in your intestines, triggering the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory conditions. 

our ingredients: 

egg whites, coconut, maple sugar, vanilla

the alternative:

Protein Matrix Comprised of (Whey Protein Concentrate,  Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate, Egg Albumen, Glutamine Peptides), Polydextrose, Sunflower Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids,  Sodium Caseinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Yellow 5, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Papain, Bromelain

drink wholesome is dairy-free

Another reason why we make the best perimenopause protein powder is that we do not use whey and casein. These dairy-based proteins contain lactose, a sugar that most adults cannot fully digest. It follows that they can cause a number of nasty digestive issues. 

drink wholesome is made with real foods

A final reason why we make the best protein powder for perimenopause is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Basically every other protein supplement is made from one or both of these protein sources, which undergo extreme processing. Protein concentrates or isolates are mechanically or chemically stripped of their non protein components, leaving them looking nothing like real food.

Your gut is designed to break down minimally or unprocessed real foods, not protein concentrates or isolates. This is why research shows that regularly eating ingredients like these can alter your gut microbiome. As you just learned, an altered gut microbiome is the last thing you want during perimenopause.

Instead of relying on protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best perimenopause protein powder with egg whites and almonds. These simple protein sources are a gut-friendly alternative to protein isolates and concentrates.

For starters, both egg whites and almonds contain enzymes that help you break them down. Protein isolates and concentrates, on the other hand, have been stripped of these natural digestive aids.

Almonds are also prebiotic, meaning they improve the composition of your gut microbiome. Egg whites, on the other hand, are low FODMAP, alkaline (maintaining healthy pH levels in your gut), and bioactive (promoting the growth of good gut bacteria). This is why our customers claim to have fewer digestive problems with our egg white protein powder than with any other type of protein supplement.

In conclusion, we make protein powders with a short list of gut-friendly ingredients so you can boost your protein intake during perimenopause without compromising your gut health.

easy to digest

“This peanut butter protein powder has been a essential part of my weight loss journey. I blend it with banana and oat milk for breakfast every morning. I never get sick of the flavor, and it fills me up until lunch. Plus, I don’t get bloated. Literally zero bloating. That alone sold me from day 1.” – Annie

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.