How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Prediabetes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with prediabetes.

Last Updated
Jan 26, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, Founder

Jack is the Founder of Drink Wholesome.

Medically reviewed by Brittany, MS, RD and Jenn, PA-C

Kayla is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

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

Protein Powder For Prediabetes

Is Protein Powder Good for Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a condition characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.

It is considered to be a warning sign that you might develop type 2 diabetes if you do not make changes to your diet and/or lifestyle.

If you have prediabetes, your body either does not produce enough insulin, or your cells have become insulin resistant.

• Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood.
• The food you eat is broken down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream.
• A spike in blood glucose signals your pancreas to release insulin.
• Insulin then tells your cells to remove glucose from your blood and use it for energy, or store it for later.

If you do not produce enough insulin, or if your cells are insulin resistant, your blood sugar levels rise too high.

Over time, this can lead to type 2 diabetes.

If you are prediabetic, eating more protein can be helpful for several reasons, including:

Blood Glucose Management

When it comes to managing blood glucose (sugar) levels, protein plays an important role.

Unlike carbohydrates, protein has a minimal impact on blood glucose and can even help stabilize it.

There are several mechanisms by which this occurs.

First of all, protein stimulates the release of insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting glucose into your cells.

This helps you regulate your blood glucose levels and prevent sharp spikes or dips.

Second, protein slows down the digestive process (Nutrients, 2017).

It follows that when protein is consumed with carbohydrates, it leads to a more controlled release of glucose into the bloodstream.

This, in turn, helps prevent spikes in blood glucose levels after meals.

Third, protein consumption moderates glucose production in the liver, ensuring a steady release into the bloodstream and reducing the risk of blood glucose fluctuations.

Protein facilitates this by stimulating the release of glucagon, a hormone that promotes the breakdown of glycogen (stored glucose) in the liver.

Body Weight Management

If you are overweight, losing weight can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

And eating more protein can help you lose weight for several reasons:

• 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).
• Eating protein and lifting weights can help you build muscle, and people with more muscle mass burn more calories (Nutrients, 2019).

In summary, increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein can help you lose weight and prevent type 2 diabetes.

You should try to get as much protein as you can from foods like eggs, fish, legumes, meat, nuts, and seeds.

But certain individuals, like those with dietary restrictions, might have a hard time doing so, which is where protein powder can help.

Adding protein powder to your diet is a great way to ensure that you are meeting your protein goals.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder For Prediabetes?

If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you should avoid protein powders with lots of simple carbohydrates, as they can trigger blood sugar spikes.

Try to limit Added Sugars to only a few grams per serving.

Naturally occurring sugars (Total Sugars – Added Sugars), on the other hand, are safe to eat.

You should also avoid protein powders sweetened with artificial sweeteners like sucralose.

Several studies have associated artificial sweeteners with a higher risk of glucose intolerance, which is a precursor for pre-diabetes and diabetes (Nature, 2014).

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You might want to steer clear of ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates too.

While high-protein, low-carb foods like these are low on the glycemic index, they can still measure high on the insulin index.

For this reason, protein concentrates and isolates can cause hyperinsulinemia (abnormally high levels of insulin) (ScienceDirect, 2023).

In other words, while protein concentrates and isolates do not spike blood sugar the way that most carbohydrates do, they can still result in an insulin spike because they have an insulinotropic effect (they promote insulin secretion) (Eur J Clin Nutr, 2014).

Finally, when buying protein powder for prediabetes, pick one with a short list of simple ingredients.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

This means avoiding food additives like emulsifiers and thickeners.

One of the reasons why is that regularly consuming certain additives can alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which may contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes (Front Immunol, 2021).

Although more research is needed, it is thought that impaired bile acid production caused by gut dysbiosis has something to do with it.

⚠️ 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.

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.

Sources

1. Nutrients (Nutrients). The Effect of a Diet Moderately High in Protein and Fiber on Insulin Sensitivity Measured Using the Dynamic Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion Test (DISST). 2017.
2. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr). Protein, weight management, and satiety. 2008.
3. 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.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. 2019.
5. Nature (Nature). Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. 2014.
6. ScienceDirect (ScienceDirect). Protein Isolates – an overview. 2023.
7. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Eur J Clin Nutr). Food insulin index: physiologic basis for predicting insulin demand evoked by composite meals. 2014.
8. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
9. Frontiers in Immunology (Front Immunol). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Novel Insights into Mechanisms and Promising Therapeutic Strategies. 2021.