How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Seniors Over 70

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for seniors over 70.

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake as a senior.

Last Updated
Mar 3, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

Is Protein Powder Good for Seniors Over 70?

Seniors over the age of 70 need a high protein diet to curb the loss of muscle that comes with aging.

And for seniors trying to rebuild muscle after illness or a long hospital stay, eating lots of protein is especially important.

Muscle loss can affect strength and bone health, which in turn affects agility, balance, and the ability to perform everyday tasks.

Plus, aging bodies process protein less efficiently and therefore need more of it; even healthy seniors need more protein than their younger selves.

It follows that one-third of seniors do not consume enough protein (Contemp Clin Trials, 2017).

Other reasons for inadequate protein intake include:

• Reduced appetite
• Dental issues
• Impaired taste or swallowing
• Limited financial resources

When paired with a sedentary lifestyle, low protein intake can put seniors at risk of deteriorating muscles, compromised mobility, and slower recovery from illness.

This is why seniors who consume more protein have better outcomes.

In fact, for older adults who are not already meeting their protein needs, research confirms that protein supplementation can improve muscle mass and reduce the risk of muscle loss (J Diabetes Metab Disord, 2022).

How Much Protein Do Seniors Over 70 Need?

Adults over 70 years old should aim for at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, especially if they are at risk for malnutrition, frailty, or have multiple illnesses (N Engl J Med, 2024).

Eating this much protein, even for seniors without dietary restrictions, can be challenging, which is where protein powder can help.

Adding a scoop of protein powder to your diet, whether in smoothies, oatmeal, or other recipes, is an easy way to increase your protein intake and fill in gaps in your diet.

Keep in mind that protein supplements are most effective for older adults when consumed with a meal, as opposed to between meals, due to age-related changes in digestion (Geriatr Gerontol Int, 2021).

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Seniors Over 70?

Not all protein powders are created equal.

As long as you are eating a balanced diet – getting protein from a variety of sources – the type of protein supplement you use does not matter.

Ingredients do matter, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that might contribute to painful side effects and long-term health problems for seniors.

Among the top offenders are food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2020).

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which contributes to a wide range of chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, diabetes, and colorectal cancer (J Exp Med, 2019).

It is worth adding that with aging already comes a decrease in microbial diversity and shifts in the composition of the gut microbiome (Transl Res, 2020).

Seniors therefore need to be particularly mindful of how what they eat affects their gut health.

⚠️ 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 Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can cause digestive issues too.

This is usually because they contain lactose, a sugar many people cannot fully digest.

But you might be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

🚫 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. Contemporary Clinical Trials (Contemp Clin Trials). Design of a randomized trial to determine the optimum protein intake to preserve lean body mass and to optimize response to a promyogenic anabolic agent in older men with physical functional limitation. 2017.
2. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders (J Diabetes Metab Disord). Effects of protein supplementation combined with exercise training on muscle mass and function in older adults with sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2022.
3. The New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med). Frailty. 2024.
4. Geriatrics & Gerontology International (Geriatr Gerontol Int). Protein supplementation with meals containing high fat and polyphenols has no effect on muscle disuse atrophy in older adults. 2021.
5. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
6. The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 2019.
7. Translational Research : the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine (Transl Res). Gut dysbiosis and age-related neurological diseases; an innovative approach for therapeutic interventions. 2020.
8. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
9. 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.