How to Find the Best Protein Shakes for Elderly People

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein shakes for elderly people.

Discover how to safely supplement your needs as an elderly person.

Last Updated
May 22, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.

Protein Shakes for Elderly People

Are Protein Shakes Good for Elderly People?

The elderly require a high-protein diet to prevent the muscle loss that comes with aging.

This is especially true for older adults recovering from illness or long hospital stays.

Muscle loss can impact strength and bone health, affecting agility, balance, and the ability to perform daily tasks.

Moreover, aging bodies process protein less efficiently, so the elderly need more of it, even if they are healthy.

Approximately one-third of elderly people do not get enough protein due to reduced appetite, dental issues, taste or swallowing problems, or limited finances (Contemp Clin Trials, 2017).

When combined with a sedentary lifestyle, this puts them at risk of muscle deterioration, compromised mobility, and slower recovery from illnesses.

This is why elderly people who consume more protein generally have better outcomes (BMC Med, 2025).

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for older adults is at least 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day (N Engl J Med, 2024).

For those with acute or chronic diseases, however, the RDA can be as high as 2 grams (Lancet, 2023).

Consuming this much protein can be challenging, even for those without dietary restrictions, which is where protein shakes can be beneficial.

Adding a protein shake to your diet, whether in smoothies, oatmeal, or other recipes, is an easy way to increase your protein intake.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that not all protein shakes are created equal.

What Are the Best Protein Shakes for Elderly People?

Many protein supplements contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

Among the top offenders are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

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

These shifts, known gut dysbiosis, contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases, including diabetes and even certain cancers (J Exp Med, 2019).

Gut dysbiosis is so problematic because it causes a cascade of problems, including intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, impaired nutrient absorption, and reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.

⚠️ 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 could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You should also consider avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein powders are made from one or both of these 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 you break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which can affect your gut health.

In fact, studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates can disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

So instead of ultra-processed protein concentrates or isolates, look for whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They 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. BMC Medicine (BMC Med). Protein intake and transitions between frailty states in middle-aged and older adults: a multi-state transition model in the UK Biobank. 2025.
3. The New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med). Nutrition in Older Adults. 2024.
4. Lancet (Lancet). Malnutrition in older adults. 2023.
5. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
6. The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 2019.
7. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
8. 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 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.