How to Find the Best Protein Supplements for ICU Patients

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein supplements for ICU patients.

Discover how to safely supplement your protein intake in the ICU.

Last Updated
Jan 27, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

Jennifer Fossett is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein Supplements for ICU Patients

Are Protein Supplements Good for ICU Patients?

Adequate protein intake is important for maintaining muscle mass, promoting wound healing, and supporting immune function.

It is therefore unsurprising that research shows increased dietary protein intake improves outcomes in the context of critical illness (J Clin Med, 2019).

In critically ill patients who survive hospitalization, higher daily protein intake during hospitalization is associated with decreased mortality following discharge from the hospital.

Moreover, increased protein intake following the acute phase of illness translates improves the retention of muscle and muscle strength, both of which assist with recovery.

Keep in mind that intensive care unit (ICU) patients should aim to get as much protein as they can from dietary protein sources like dairy, eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, meat, and seeds.

Getting enough protein this way can be hard, however, especially for patients with dietary restrictions or difficulty swallowing, which is where protein supplements can help.

Protein shakes and powders make it easy to fill in gaps in your diet and ensure that you are staying strong and healthy.

How Much Protein Do ICU Patients Need?

The protein needs of ICU patients can vary based on their condition, age, weight, and underlying health issues.

That said, the general guidelines for protein intake in ICU patients are as followsL

1. General adult ICU patients: The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) recommends that critically ill adult patients receive 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 2016), which is twice as much as what healthy adults need!
2. Obese ICU patients: For obese patients, protein needs might be increased 2 to 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day.
3. Patients with severe trauma or burns: Patients with severe trauma, burns, or significant wounds may require even more protein, sometimes as much as 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

Note that these recommendations are only general; the specific protein requirements for an ICU patient should be determined by his or her healthcare team.

What Are the Best Protein Supplements for ICU Patients?

The type of protein supplement that you add to your diet is not particularly important.

That is, as long as you are eating a balanced diet (getting protein from a variety of sources), any type of protein (egg, pea, whey, etc.) can help you effectively supplement your protein intake.

Not all protein supplements are created equal, however.

Many protein shakes and powders contain ingredients that might contribute to long-term health problems and worse outcomes for ICU patients.

Among the most problematic ingredients are food additives and protein concentrates/isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

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

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which is associated with worse outcomes for critically ill patients (Curr Opin Crit Care, 2025).

Specifically, dysbiosis increases susceptibility to infections, promotes immune dysfunction, and drives organ failure.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common 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 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. Journal of Clinical Medicine (J Clin Med). Protein Intake, Nutritional Status and Outcomes in ICU Survivors: A Single Center Cohort Study. 2019.
2. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr). Guidelines for the Provision and Assessment of Nutrition Support Therapy in the Adult Critically Ill Patient: Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.). 2016.
3. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
4. Current Opinion in Critical Care (Curr Opin Crit Care). Gut microbiota and its impact on critical illness.. 2025.
5. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
6. 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.