Have you ever tried a protein shake that gave you gas or made you feel bloated?
Did you stop taking it?
Or did you just suck it up and chug it?
Have you ever heard of a food sensitivity or intolerance?
Gas, bloating, acne, allergies, migraines, etc. are all symptoms linked to food sensitivities.
Unfortunately, most people just ignore their symptoms or fail to even realize they are experiencing any issues. For some people, this might only happen every once in a while. For others, these type of symptoms could be occurring daily. For those of you experiencing the symptoms daily, it might be time to take a deeper look into your gut health and the food you eat on a consistent basis.
In regards to protein powders, I typically see two scenarios:
- Lactose Intolerance
- Protein Allergy / Intolerance
Individuals that are lactose intolerant do not produce enough of the enzyme lactase. Therefore, their bodies have a hard time breaking down lactose, which causes undigested lactose to pass through the stomach and into the intestines for fermentation. This process is what cause all of the gas to be formed. In turn, causing bloating, cramping, diarrhea, etc.
In addition, some individuals could be experiencing these symptoms because of a casein or milk protein sensitivity. Individuals will experience an excessive inflammatory immune response which leads to increased mucus production.
What should you do if you are experiencing these symptoms?
Check the ingredient list on the back of the label, if you see whey protein concentrate that means that there will be at least some lactose in the product, even if the manufacturer claims that they are using a “high quality isolate.” Simply switching brands could be the quick fix to getting rid of these issues. I’ve seen individuals switch from a whey protein isolate to a milk protein blend and within one day all of their complaints went away.
This leads me to my next suggestion, switch the type of protein that you are using. If you switch protein brands and that doesn’t help then you could actually have an intolerance to milk protein itself. At this point, you would want to switch to a different type of protein all together. Rice protein isolates are hypoallergenic and are fortified to contain a compliment to amino acids.
At the end of the day, I want to make one thing clear. Food sensitivities and intolerances are a very real thing. If you are experiencing symptoms, it could be coming from your protein powder or maybe another food or food group that you are consuming. If you’re aware of the food you eat and how it makes you feel, it will be much easier to identify the root of the problem rather than just dealing with it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope it helps! If you or anyone you know is experiencing these issues then feel free to share this with them or on social media.
Live your best life!
Justin Murphy