Why Does Protein Powder Make Me Nauseous?​

Why does protein powder make me nauseous​? Discover why protein powder can cause nausea and how to avoid this common side effect.

Protein Powder Nausea​

Why Is My Protein Powder Making Me Nauseous​?

Nausea is the feeling of discomfort that makes you feel as though you might vomit, but may or may not lead to vomiting.

It is a feeling that everyone experiences it at some point – perhaps while reading in a moving vehicle or after drinking too much coffee.

In fact, there are many causes of nausea, including motion sickness, medication, viral infections, and food. 

The timing of the nausea often indicates the causes, so if you feel nauseous shortly after drinking a protein shake, it is likely that the protein shake is causing the nausea.

Not that how long nausea lasts depends on the cause.

Nausea from eating or drinking will usually start to improve after a few hours.

Nausea from other causes can last a lot longer.

If your nausea lasts more than a week, you should seek professional medical advice.

If your protein shake makes you nauseous, you are not alone.

Many people report that their protein powder makes them nauseous. 

I myself have wondered why my protein powder makes me nauseous, and it was not until I started reading ingredient lists that it started to make sense.

Many protein supplements contain one or more ingredients that are so hard to digest, they can cause nausea.

How Do I Avoid Protein Powder Nausea? 

Unless you have a food allergy or sensitivity, the type of protein is not the reason why your protein powder makes you nauseous.

Instead, one of the following ingredients is likely to blame: food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates. 

Avoid Food Additives

Emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives are ultra-processed ingredients that look nothing like real food,

This can make them hard to break down, which means they feed your hungry, gas-producing gut bacteria.

And all this extra intestinal gas can cause side effects like bloating and nausea.

Moreover, regularly eating food additives can alter the composition of your gut microbiome.

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is linked to a number of chronic digestive issues known to cause chronic nausea.

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

Basically, if you could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it should not be in your protein powder. 

Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

You should also avoid dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, which contain lactose, a sugar many people cannot fully digest.

As you might imagine, poor digestion can lead to nausea.

Keep in mind that you may be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if they are not lactose intolerant.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in the stomach that slows down digestion.

Slow digestion, also known as delayed gastric emptying, can cause your stomach to feel overly full or distended, triggering nausea.

Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

The protein source itself (not the type of protein, but the form) might be a factor worth considering too.

Most protein supplements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, 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 it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to 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.

So, pending further research, it is recommended that you stick to protein powders made from whole food protein sources.

Shop Now

Shop Now

Drink Wholesome Will Not Make You Nauseous

Finding a protein supplement free from food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

In fact, 99% of protein supplements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients, which is why we created Drink Wholesome.

Our protein powder will not make you nauseous because we use a short list of simple ingredients.

Our Ingredients

egg whites

coconut

vanilla

monk fruit

NOT Our Ingredients

• acacia gum

• acesulfame potassium

• artificial flavors

• carrageenan

• erythritol

• guar gum

• inulin

• maltodextrin

• 'natural' flavors

• silica

• soy lecithin

• sucralose

• xanthan gum

• xylitol

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestion problems with our Protein Powder than with any other type of protein supplement.

Order Samples to see for yourself.