Adding protein powder to your beverages, be it milk or smoothies can easily help you to boost your health. Protein is an essential macronutrient in helping you to maintain and build muscle, help in bone strength, and aid in many bodily functions.
Since many older adults do not consume enough protein due to a reduction in appetite, protein powder can be awesome!
However, be cautious, as protein powder can have side effects, it is not all as good as it’s made to be. So, let’s take a look at the one question we all ask after an experience with protein powder.
Does protein powder make you poop? It is time to find out!
What Is Protein Powder?
Protein powder is simply a powdered form of protein. It can come from plants such as hemp, rice, peas, soybeans, or potatoes.
However, it can also come from eggs, or milk, such as whey protein. These powders can also often contain additional ingredients such as thickeners, minerals, vitamins, added sugars, and artificial flavorings.
However, the amount of protein you may get per scoop can vary from 10 grams to 30 grams.
The supplements which are typically used to help you build muscle usually contain a bit more protein. Alternatively, those that are used to lose weight will often have less.
Be aware of how much protein you need in your diet, and from there, calculate how much protein powder you should be supplementing into your diet.
Adding too much can lead to weight gain as stated by healthline.com, and consuming too much can give your GI tract some side effects.
Does Protein Powder Make You Poop?
Protein powder can make you poop more. However, this depends on the type of protein powder and what your intolerances may be.
Depending on the ingredients in the protein powder, you may experience loose stools or constipation as a result of consuming protein powder.
Whey protein is one of the most notorious protein powders for having this effect. Whey protein is absorbed faster than casein protein powder and plant-based protein powders as the National Institute For Health says.
Therefore, since liquids also digest faster than whole food protein does, this type of protein is consumed without additional fibers or fats. It works through your digestive system with greater speed.
A reason why whey protein may have this effect on you is if you are not eating enough fiber. Fiber helps your gut motility and feeds your gut bacteria.
If you have a diet that is high in protein then it can overshadow other macronutrients. This makes the problem, not protein, but what you are not eating.
Alternatively, a large number of brands that sell protein powders tend to put sweeteners into them. While how sweeteners affect the microbiota of the gut is still needing to be studied as stated by TheScientist.com, it has been reviewed that some sweeteners such as sucralose, stevia, and saccharine change the gut microbiota composition.
Does Vegan Protein Powder Make You Poop?
Vegan protein powder is more likely to give you constipation than diarrhea, however, much like with dairy protein powders, it does depend on what type of protein is used.
It also depends on what else is mixed in with the protein source.
Some protein powders may contain a lot of fiber, which would have the opposite effect, making bowel movements easier. However, some may contain sugars, artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients.
Vegan protein powders may use pea protein. This is a complete protein and is tolerated easily by a majority of people.
However, some products may use hemp, soy, or even rice protein. These protein types are a bit harder to digest and could cause constipation in some people.
Similar issues can arise from vegan protein powders containing food additives.
Food additives can interfere with intestinal regulatory pathways, however, they can also lead to IBD and other inflammatory disorders in some cases.
Artificial sweeteners are one of the worst for this, if consumed regularly they can alter the composition of the bacteria in your gut over time.
Some vegan protein powders contain artificial sweeteners, so it is wise to be cautious of this.
Protein powder containing artificial sweeteners used occasionally should not cause any major issues or digestive issues.
Yet, if you consume vegan protein powder that does contain artificial sweeteners regularly you may wish to switch what you use.
Do Protein Shakes Make You Poop?
Protein shakes may make you poop. This is most common if you drink large quantities of protein shakes with little water. There are several reasons that this could be the case.
If you consume a dairy-based protein powder and have lactose intolerance, then the protein powder is likely to impact your fecal regularity and consistency.
If you excessively consume protein shakes, then they will also impact your bowels and cause more frequent or liquid bowel movements.
Should your protein shakes, or diet in general, be low in fiber, then this will also likely make your bowel movements more regular and liquid as stated by mayoclinic.org.
The brand of the protein powder also matters, as some brands include specific ingredients in their protein powders.
Finally, if the protein powder contains artificial sweeteners, then it may have an impact on your GI tract, which can be serious if consumed too often and in the long term.
FAQs
Does Protein Make You Poop Or Constipated?
Protein can cause constipation if you have a very high-protein diet. However, it is not the protein itself that causes constipation, but the lack of fiber, or enough fiber.
Do Protein Shakes Give You Diarrhea?
Lactose is found in dairy-based protein shakes and can cause diarrhea. This is most likely if it is a whey protein-based protein shake.
Why Do Protein Shakes Make Me Fart?
The sweeteners and thickeners sometimes found in protein powders can cause flatulence. Some plant-based powders also include legumes or beans, which have the same effect.
Why Do Protein Shakes Make My Stomach Hurt
Some people find that whey protein shakes lead to stomach pain, this is usually an indication of lactose intolerance to some degree.
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