What is the best protein powder for weight gain?
Written by Jack Schrupp and reviewed by Ella McGonagle, M.S. Nutrition
drink wholesome is the best protein powder for weight gain. It is additive-free, dairy-free, and made with real foods, not protein isolates – 99% of supplements fail to meet at least one of these criteria. This makes it perfect for people with gut issues and sensitive stomachs, as well as for people just looking to boost their protein intake without the processing and added junk. Order samples to see if our weight gain protein powder is right for you.
★★★★★
“It has ingredients you can actually pronounce and is freaking delicious.”
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drink wholesome is the best protein powder for weight gain.
Does protein powder make you gain weight?
Which protein powder is best for gaining weight?
Why drink wholesome?
Does protein powder make you gain weight?
You can use protein powder to gain weight. Although protein supplements are often championed as a weight loss food, they can also help you put on weight. This is because protein powders and shakes are an easy way to add calories and protein to your diet.
Gaining weight is first and foremost about achieving maintaining a calorie surplus – consuming more calories than you burn. It takes an extra 3,500 calories to gain a pound, and to gain weight at a safe rate – 0.5 pound per week – you have to consume an extra 1,750 calories weekly, or an extra 250 calories daily.
Adding a protein supplement to your diet can help you eat extra calories and achieve a calorie surplus. Many people like shakes because it is easier to drink your calories than it is to chew them. For someone who has trouble eating enough, having a drinkable meal option can be a lifesaver. Protein shakes are also a quick, convenient option for people who do not have time to prepare healthy meals. Rather than skipping a meal or reaching for an unhealthy snack, you can use a protein shake to get the calories and nutrients you need to achieve a healthy weight.
Protein powders can be mixed with milk or water to make protein shakes, and our protein powders contain 150-200 calories per serving. If you mix them with milk, you are looking at the extra 250 calories you will need to gain weight at a safe rate. You will also be getting 20 grams of protein. Research shows that weight gain when eating a low protein diet is less than weight gain when eating a high protein diet. In other words, increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein can help you gain weight.
Eating enough protein is also essential if you are not only trying to gain weight, but also trying to build muscle. This is because muscle growth can occur only if muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown, which is called having a positive muscle protein balance. Strength training improves your muscle protein balance, but in the absence of adequate protein intake, the balance remains negative. You must therefore consume enough protein if you want to build or maintain muscle mass.
There are many reasons why someone would want to gain weight. Perhaps you are experiencing weight loss due to a loss of appetite. Perhaps you are recovering from an illness. Perhaps you are an athlete looking to build muscle. Whatever the reason, you can use protein powders to gain weight. If shakes are not your thing, you can add protein powder to oatmeal, yogurt, and your favorite recipes. This is another convenient way to promote healthy weight gain.
What protein powder is best for weight gain?
Any type of protein (egg, pea, whey, etc.) can help you gain weight, and no one type is better than the other. Anyone who tells you that you need a particular type of protein is just trying to sell you something you do not need. As long as a protein supplement helps you achieve and maintain a calorie surplus, it will help you gain. Before you start scooping protein powder and chugging protein shakes, however, you should know that not all protein powders are created equal.
Many protein powders are loaded with ingredients that are not good for you. Emulsifiers, thickeners, and fake sweeteners and flavors are a few of the top offenders. Ingredients like these, because they look nothing like real food, mess with your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms that live in your gut. Not only does this impact your ability to digest and absorb food, but it also causes inflammation, painful side effects, and even the development of chronic diseases.
The best weight gainer protein powder is made with a short list of simple ingredients. Basically, the more your protein powder looks like real food, the less likely it will be to cause harm. Continue reading to learn more.
Why drink wholesome?
drink wholesome is additive-free.
One of the reasons why we make the best protein powder for weight gain is that we, unlike most protein powder companies, do not use food additives. Additives bear little resemblance to real foods, making them difficult to digest. As a result, they linger in your gastrointestinal tract and feed your hungry gut bacteria. As these microorganisms eat, they generate gas, which can cause symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and constipation. Partially digested food additives can also cause your colon to absorb excess water, making you run to the bathroom (if you know what I mean).
Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:
acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol
As time passes, the regular consumption of food additives can disturb regulatory pathways in your intestine, setting the stage for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other systemic inflammatory conditions. Food additives, especially artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, can also perturb your gut microbiome. An imbalanced gut microbiome is a leading driver of inflammation in the body, and linked to the development of several chronic diseases.
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 weight gain protein powder is that we do not use dairy-based proteins like whey and casein. These protein sources, which are byproducts of cheese and yogurt manufacturing, are notorious for triggering gastrointestinal (GI) problems. This holds particularly true for individuals with lactose intolerance, a condition that affects over than 1 in 3 adults. Those with lactose intolerance lack the ability to completely break down lactose, the sugar found in dairy products, which can result in a host of painful side effects.
drink wholesome is made with real foods.
A final reason why we make the best weight gainer protein powder is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. The vast majority of other protein powders use one or both of these protein sources. Concentrates and isolates are essentially foods stripped down to nothing but the protein. They appear on the ingredient list as “pea protein” or “whey protein,” rather than as “peas” or “whey.”
Protein concentrates and isolates undergo intensive mechanical and chemical transformations. Sometimes, manufacturers use solvents like hexane to isolate the protein. This means that what you eat looks very little like real food.
Your digestive system is meant to handle unprocessed or minimally-processed real foods, not artificial or refined imitations. It is therefore unsurprising that research is beginning to find that the regular consumption of processed ingredients like protein isolates can disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome.
In addition to helping you digest food, your gut microbiome serves as a safeguard against pathogens, an educator of your immune system, and plays an important role in most bodily functions. A dysbiotic gut microbiome is thus not a matter that should not be taken lightly.
Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best protein powder to gain weight with whole foods like egg whites and almonds. The egg whites undergo a simple process of pasteurization and dehydration, while the almonds are just roasted, pressed to remove some oil and ground. These minimally-processed ingredients are a gut-friendly alternative to protein concentrates and isolates.
Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, real food protein sources like egg whites and almonds come equipped with enzymes and natural digestive aids that facilitate digestion. Egg white protein powder in particular boasts excellent digestibility thanks to its low fiber content, minimal FODMAPs, and alkaline properties. In fact, our happy customers have reported the fewest digestive issues when using our egg white protein powder.
For those who cannot include eggs in their diet, our vegan almond protein powder stands as the top gut-friendly plant-based protein. Almonds possess prebiotic qualities, actively supporting the composition and function of the gut microbiome. They also promote regular and healthy bowel movements.
In conclusion, our protein powders are made with minimally-processed, natural ingredients to prioritize your gut and overall health.
★★★★★
“As someone struggling with IBS and weight loss, I’ve been desperately trying to find something to help me keep on weight. Every other vegan protein powder I tried literally make me run to the bathroom. I was about to give up when I found Drink Wholesome. It has been a total life saver. I’m so happy to have found something I can eat, and for for the first time in 3 weeks I actually gained a bit of weight back.” – Abby
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drink wholesome is the best weight gain protein powder.
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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.