What is the best protein shake for ulcerative colitis?

drink wholesome is the best protein shake for ulcerative colitis.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What is ulcerative colitis? 

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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe two conditions marked by ongoing inflammation in the gut: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both of these conditions bring about symptoms such as diarrhea and stomach pain, and they can lead to significant weight loss. Ulcerative colitis occurs when your immune system attacks the lining of your large intestine (colon), causing inflammation and the formation of small open sores, known as ulcers.

Even though what you eat does not cause ulcerative colitis, doctors and dietitians acknowledge that food plays a crucial role in managing symptoms. Some foods can worsen symptoms, while others can help alleviate them and support the healing process. Paying attention to your diet and how your body reacts to various foods is therefore a vital aspect of living with ulcerative colitis

Are protein shakes good for ulcerative colitis? 

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Creating a diet tailored to your specific condition, whether it is Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, can be complex. There is no one-size-fits-all diet for these conditions, as the foods that trigger symptoms for one person may not trigger them for someone else. Nevertheless, there are some essential elements to consider when planning an IBD diet, and one of them is protein.

Eating an adequate amount of protein is crucial because chronic inflammation can hinder your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. This can ultimately lead to malnutrition and weight loss. If you have ulcerative colitis, you may need about 25% more protein than most people.

As a baseline, aim to consume 1-2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day when you are not experiencing a flare-up. Focus on getting most of your protein from high-protein foods like eggs, fish, and meat, as these are more nutritionally beneficial than dietary supplements. For some individuals, however, meeting their protein needs this way can be challenging due to dietary restrictions. This is where protein shakes come in handy.

Protein shakes are incredibly convenient and offer an easy way to ensure you are getting enough protein. Adequate dietary protein intake not only helps prevent weight loss and muscle wasting, but also supports the healing of your gut. Unfortunately, however, not all protein powders are created equal.

What is the best protein shakes for ulcerative colitis?

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Many protein shakes are not suitable for individuals with ulcerative colitis. Do not let yourself be misled by clever marketing.

To begin with, most protein shakes contain additives have been linked to painful side effects and long-term gut health problems. To be precise, food additives can alter the composition of your gut microbiome — the collection of microorganisms in your gut. These changes, known as gut dysbiosis, are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC).

This makes sense because under dysbiotic conditions, the gut microbiome is unable to maintain local homeostasis, allowing disruptions to the intestinal barrier to occur. It follows that the best protein shake for ulcerative colitis is additive-free. By avoiding emulsifiers, thickeners, flavorings, and most sugar substitutes, you can be confident that your protein supplement will not compromise your gut health. Keep reading to learn more.

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make the best protein shakes for ulcerative colitis is that we do not use food additives. Even tiny amounts of additives can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and stomach pain.

These symptoms occur because additives look nothing like real foods. As a result, your digestive system struggles to fully break them down. This can lead to two situations: either water gets drawn into your gut, resulting in diarrhea, or the additives feed your gut bacteria, leading to excess gas production. Excess gas can cause bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and even hinder the movement of food through the colon, leading to constipation.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein shakes:

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

The effects of consuming food additives regularly are even more concerning. For starters, some additives can disrupt regulatory pathways in your intestines, thereby contributing to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other systemic inflammatory disorders. This is the last thing you want if you are already suffering from UC.

our ingredients: 

egg whites, coconut, maple sugar, vanilla

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 protein shake for ulcerative colitis is that we do not use whey and casein. Dairy-based proteins like these contain lactose, a sugar that most adults cannot completely digest. Partially digested food, as you just learned, can cause nasty gastrointestinal (GI) side effects.

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why we make protein shakes for ulcerative colitis is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Most other protein shakes rely on one or both of these protein sources, which have been stripped down to only the protein. They undergo extensive mechanical and chemical processing, sometimes involving the use of solvents like hexane. The end result is a protein source that looks little to nothing like real food.

Your digestive system is designed to digest or minimally or unprocessed real foods, rather than protein concentrates or isolates. This is why a growing body of research is discovering that the regular consumption of ingredients like these can disrupt your gut microbiome. Once again, this is less than ideal for someone with UC.

Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best protein shakes for colitis with egg whites and almonds. These minimally-processed ingredients make for protein shakes that are exceptionally gentle on the digestive system.

Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, egg whites and almonds contain enzymes that help you break them down. What is more, egg whites are low fiber, low FODMAP, alkaline (they maintain healthy pH levels in your gut), and bioactive (they promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria). In fact, our happy customers have reported fewer digestive issues with our egg white protein powders than with any other type of protein powder.

For those who cannot eat eggs, our vegan almond protein powder is the best vegan protein powder for ulcerative colitis. Almonds are prebiotic, meaning they support diversity of your gut microbiome. They also give you regular and healthy bowel movements. In summary, our protein powders, because they are made with a short list of simple ingredients, are the best protein powders for UC. 

★★★★★

easy to digest

“I am a recently diagnosed Ulcerative Colitis mom of 3, and these powders have literally saved my life. On the days I cannot actually eat anything, I drink these as my means and it helps me retain calories and nutrition, AND they taste phenomenal!” – Sara

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