What is the best slow-digesting protein powder? 

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If you are looking for the best slow-digesting protein powder, you have come to the right place. In this article, you will learn how to find the right protein powder for your diet. This article was written by Jack Schrupp.

Protein powder and digestion

What does slow-digesting mean?

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Slow-digesting refers to the speed at which food passes through the digestive tract, as well as the speed at which amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are absorbed by the body. Different types of dietary protein are digested at different rates.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are absorbed at the rate of 1.3 grams to 10 grams an hour. 20 grams of a fast digesting protein might therefore only take 2 hours to digest, whereas 20 grams of a slow digesting protein might take 15+ hours to digest.

Why use slow-digesting protein powder? 

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For starters, foods that take longer to digest make you feel full for longer. In the short-term, they can help curb cravings and prevent overeating. In the long-term, they can help with weight loss. 

Research suggests that the speed of protein digestion and amino acid absorption from the gut also affects postprandial metabolic response, which is the complicated physiological process that breaks down food into glucose (sugar), fatty acids (fats), and amino acids (protein). Slow-digesting protein is found to inhibit muscle protein breakdown, whereas fast-digesting is found to promote muscle protein synthesis.

What is the best slow digesting protein powder? 

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We make two types of slow-digesting protein powder: egg white protein powder and vegan almond protein powder. Neither egg whites nor almonds are among the slowest digesting dietary protein sources, but they provide good balance of speed of digestion and digestibility (how well the protein is digested).

Compared to whey protein, egg white protein is digested slowly. It is not digested nearly as slowly as beef and casein, but it is better digested, meaning you get more bang for your buck. 

Compared to peas, soy, and other plant-based protein sources, almonds are digested slowly because they are rich in healthy fats and fiber, which slow the absorption of amino acids. Nuts like almonds are not particularly well digested, at least not when compared to animal protein sources, but they are still great sources of dietary protein.

What makes our egg white protein powders and vegan almond protein powders the best slow digesting protein powders has nothing to do with protein, however. Instead, what separates our protein powders from the crowd is the short list of simple ingredients; unlike other protein powder companies, we do not use added junk or extra processing.

No food additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, sugar substitutes, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut. This can lead to gut dysbiosis, which is associated with poor nutrient absorption. In other words, by using protein powders loaded with food additives, you may be making it harder to absorb protein. This almost defeats the purpose of using protein powder in the first place. Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:

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, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, ‘natural’ flavors, rice bran extract, rice dextrin, rice hulls, rosemary extract, silica, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, soluble corn fiber, soy lecithin, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, tocopherols, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, xylitol, zinc oxide

No protein concentrates and isolates

Most protein powders are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and or chemically stripped of everything but the protein, including the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down. As a result, they may be hard to absorb and could even disrupt your gut microbiome. 

Finding a protein powder free from food additives and protein concentrates and isolates is hard. In fact, 99% of protein supplements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients. This is why we created drink wholesome. Keep reading to learn more about why we make the best slow digesting protein powder.

drink wholesome is the best slow digesting protein powder

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We make the best slow digesting protein powder because we use a short list of simple ingredients free from food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

our ingredients: 

egg whites, coconut, vanilla, monk fruit

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

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds. Simple protein sources like these bring a unique set of digestive benefits to the table: almonds are rich in prebiotic fiber and improve the composition of your gut microbiome, and egg whites are alkaline, meaning they balance the pH levels in your gut. 

Our customers thus experience fewer digestive issues with our slow digesting protein powder than with any other type of protein supplement. Order samples to see for yourself.