How to Find the the Best Protein Powder for Psoriasis

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake with psoriasis.

Last Updated
Jan 26, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Protein Powder for Psoriasis

Is Protein Powder Good for Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disorder.

It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing them to regenerate more rapidly than they should.

This overproduction of skin cells leads to the formation of skin plaques (raised skin covered in scales).

Psoriasis can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, infections, certain medications, and even changes in climate or weather.

It is not contagious, meaning it cannot be passed from one person to another.

And while there is no cure for psoriasis, there are treatments that can help manage symptoms, including topical medications, light therapy, oral medications, and biologic injections.

Several studies demonstrate that dietary habits can also influence psoriasis development and severity (Psoriasis (Auckl), 2022).

For instance, low-calorie diets for obese patients, gluten-free diets for patients with celiac disease, and the Mediterranean diet might all have benefits for psoriasis patients.

The complexity of the interaction between nutrition and immunology is enormous, however, and the effect of different types and amounts of dietary nutrients on psoriasis is poorly understood.

Animal studies have found that neither low nor high protein diets have significant effects on skin inflammation and psoriasis, which means that the type of protein powder you use might not matter (Nutrients, 2021).

Not all protein powders are created equal, however.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Psoriasis?

Although the type of protein powder you use might not matter when it comes to psoriasis, ingredients do matter.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that might contribute to the development of psoriasis.

Among these potentially problematic ingredients are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

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

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which can contribute to autoimmune conditions like psoriasis (Nutrients, 2022).

Although more research is needed, it is thought that increased gut permeability and changes to the production of microbial metabolites might have something to do with it (increased gut permeability and changes to the production of microbial metabolites) (Front Microbiol, 2020).

⚠️ 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.

Sources

1. Psoriasis: Targets and Therapy (Psoriasis (Auckl)). Dietary Intervention and Supplements in the Management of Psoriasis: Current Perspectives. 2022.
2. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effects of Dietary Protein Intake on Cutaneous and Systemic Inflammation in Mice with Acute Experimental Psoriasis. 2021.
3. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Gut Microbiota in Psoriasis. 2022.
5. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
6. 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

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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.