How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Stroke Patients
📌 Overview and Key Takeaways
This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for stroke patients.
Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake after a stroke.
Protein Powder for Stroke Patients
Is Protein Powder Good for Stroke Patients?
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients.
It is one of the major causes of morbidity and disability in developed countries.
As many as 9 out of 10 strokes are associated with modifiable risk factors, one of which is diet.
In fact, a review of scientific studies found that having a healthy diet significantly decreases the risk of having a stroke (Tzu Chi Med J, 2021).
Several epidemiological studies have also demonstrated an association between higher dietary protein intake and reduced risk of stroke (Neurology, 2014).
More research is needed to explain why a high protein diet can make a difference, but it likely has to do with weight management.
A high protein diet can help you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, which is a major factor in reducing stroke risk.
Diet also plays an important role in supporting stroke recovery.
The consequences of having a stroke include reduced muscle strength, reduced circulation, and reduced physical capacity and functional fitness.
Existing literature describes how certain dietary changes, particularly reduced protein intake, might exacerbate these limitations (Nutrients, 2019).
Eating enough protein is also important because protein is needed to build and maintain muscle mass, and stroke patients with more muscle tend to recover faster and experience fewer complications.
Malnutrition, specifically protein deficiency, has been cited as a frequent complication of having a stroke.
One of the leading causes of malnutrition in stroke patients is difficulty eating and drinking.
Stroke patients can lose their eating and drinking abilities due to disorders of consciousness, swallowing problems, postural instability, decreased mobilization, limitations in communication, fatigue, depression, and visuospatial deficits.
Malnutrition and protein deficiency in stroke patients can also be caused by stroke induced inflammation, which increases energy expenditure and promotes muscle breakdown.
It follows that as many as 62% of stroke patients have a risk of malnutrition (Neurocrit Care, 2018), and hospitalized stroke patients consume, on average, only 80-91% of the protein they need (J Nutr Health Aging, 2006).
Once again, there is ample evidence that malnutrition is associated with poor outcome in stroke patients (J Nutr Metab, 2011) and that protein deficiency in particular impairs recovery.
Considering the negative effects of low calorie and protein intake in the prognosis of stroke patients, it is clear that protein and calorie targets should be reached as soon as possible.
Moreover, given that dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) contributes to malnutrition risk in stroke patients, liquid protein supplements are often a must.
A drinkable source of calories and protein can help stroke patients get the energy and nutrients they need to recover.
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How Much Protein do Stroke Patients Need?
The protein requirements for stroke patients are high, sometimes several times as high as that of the average healthy adult.
Hospitalized stroke patients, for example, may need to consume 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight (Nutrients, 2019), which is a ton of protein!
Stroke patients should aim to get as much protein as they can from foods like eggs, fish, legumes, meats, nuts, and seeds, but this is often challenging due to lost or impaired eating and drinking abilities.
Adding a protein shake to their diet is thus a great way to ensure that they are getting enough protein to curb muscle wasting and accelerate recovery.
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What Is the Best Protein Powder for Stroke Patients?
As long as you are eating a balanced diet (getting protein from a variety of sources), the type of protein powder you add to your diet does not matter.
Ingredients do matter, however.
Many protein powders contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and long-term health problems.
Among these 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, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which has been linked to increased stroke risk (Ann Nutr Metab, 2022).
Although more research is needed, it is thought that dysregulated gut-brain signaling caused by gut dysbiosis might have 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.
🚫 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 (Nutrients, 2018) and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (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
- Tzu-Chi Medical Journal (Tzu Chi Med J). Stroke and diets – A review. 2021.
- Neurology (Neurology). Dietary protein intake and risk of stroke in women. 2014.
- Nutrients (Nutrients). Diet after Stroke and Its Impact on the Components of Body Mass and Functional Fitness—A 4-Month Observation. 2019.
- Neurocritical Care (Neurocrit Care). Malnutrition in Stroke Patients: Risk Factors, Assessment, and Management. 2018.
- The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging (J Nutr Health Aging). Energy and protein intakes of acute stroke patients.. 2006.
- Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism (J Nutr Metab). Malnutrition in Patients with Acute Stroke. 2011.
- Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
- Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (Ann Nutr Metab). Role of the Gut Microbiota in Stroke Pathogenesis and Potential Therapeutic Implications. 2022.
- Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
- 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
This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Drink Wholesome for?
Drink Wholesome makes minimally-processed protein powder for sensitive stomachs. Because our protein powder is additive, dairy, and gluten-free, it’s recommended for people with lactose intolerance, IBS, GERD, and SIBO.
Why is Drink Wholesome easy to digest?
No Dairy
Drink Wholesome is made without whey and casein, which often contain lactose, a sugar most people can’t fully digest. Some caseins also release a bioactive peptide during digestion that has been linked to digestive issues in some individuals.
No Additives
Drink Wholesome is made without food additives. Regularly eating certain emulsifiers, thickeners, and other ultra-processed additives can contribute to gut dysbiosis, which has been linked to chronic digestive issues.
Whole Food Protein
Other protein powders are made from ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of non-protein components that promote digestion. Drink Wholesome, on the other hand, is made from whole food protein sources, which might be more gut-friendly.
Collagen vs egg white vs almond protein powder?
We make three types of minimally-processed Protein Powder for sensitive stomachs: Collagen Protein Powder, Egg White Protein Powder, and Vegan Almond Protein Powder. As long as you eat a balanced diet, any type of protein powder can help you meet your protein needs. So just pick the type that best suits your personal preferences.
Ask our dietitian.
If you’re wondering which of our products is best for you, ask our Registered Dietitian. They’ll reply via email within 24 hours.
High Protein Blueberry Pancakes
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
5 min
SERVES
2
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Drink Wholesome
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup plant milk
- 1 tbsp nut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
In a blender, combine the egg whites, milk, ¼ cup blueberries, and almond butter. Pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add the protein powder and flour. Whisk until smooth. Pour ⅓ cup batter onto a heated and greased (or non-stick) pan to form pancakes. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes. This recipe makes 4-5 pancakes. Then, in a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup blueberries and the maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Plate the pancakes and spoon blueberry jam on top.
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