Protein Powders And Indigestion

High-protein powders are designed to deliver concentrated doses of protein to your body for purposes of weight maintenance or muscle gain. While they can be successful at aiding those objectives, it's also important to note that powders may have negative side effects. Specifically, you may experience indigestion while taking them if you're not following a balanced diet.

Dietary Imbalance

There is no scientific evidence linking protein powder and indigestion, but there are a couple of reasons why you may experience digestive discomfort if the powder is a regular feature in your diet. The first has to do with a dietary imbalance that is a result of restricting carbohydrate- and fiber-rich foods in favor of extra protein. Limiting your fiber intake can interfere with your digestion because dietary fiber encourages efficient, healthy digestive-system functioning. According to MayoClinic.com, fiber helps partially digested food move through your body quickly and improves overall bowel health.

Lactose Intolerance

Another potential cause of indigestion related to protein powder is lactose intolerance or dairy allergy. Whey protein, the most common variety of protein powder, is a dairy byproduct that is made from cow's milk. "Individuals with lactose intolerance should avoid whey protein concentrates, as they usually contain lactose," notes the Whey Protein Institute. According to the National Institutes of Health, symptoms of lactose intolerance can cover a wide range of digestive issues, ranging from bloating to cramps, diarrhea, gas and nausea.

Risks

Indigestion may not seem like a very severe problem, and oftentimes it's not. Temporarily increasing your protein intake with a powder supplement is not likely to cause long-term damage and may even produce positive effects such as weight loss and lean muscle gain. However, indigestion can be a symptom of more severe problems in some instances. MayoClinic.com recommends capping your daily protein intake at 175 g. If you're regularly getting more than that due to protein powder supplements, dietitian Katherine Zeratsky notes that you could be putting yourself at elevated risk for liver and kidney problems, cancer, heart disease or diverticulitis.

Prevention

Fortunately, it's not too difficult to prevent indigestion that may arise from using protein powder. If you suspect the symptoms are due to lactose intolerance, try switching to a non-dairy variety of powder, such as soy, rice, pea or hemp protein powder. Otherwise, make sure to get a balance of carbohydrates and fats in your diet as well as protein. MayoClinic.com recommends getting about 55 percent of daily calories from carbs, 25 percent from fat and only 20 percent from protein.

Considerations

Protein powder is made from natural foods, but it's still a processed product that is classified as a dietary supplement. According to preventive medicine specialist Dr. Monica Zangwill, that means the powder is not subject to the same health regulations as real foods, and it may make product claims that haven't been substantiated by reliable research. Before you add protein powder to your diet, get approval from your doctor.