There's no official definition of a gut-friendly protein. In practice, it's one your stomach handles well, and for a lot of women that means no lactose, no sugar alcohols, a short ingredient list and a serving small enough to start with. Check labels for the common triggers below and let your own digestion be the judge.
In this article
I'm a nurse, and this is how I'd walk a friend through it: what tends to cause bloating in protein drinks, how the main protein types compare for sensitive stomachs, and when bloating means you should see your clinician instead of switching brands.
What makes a protein "gut-friendly"?
"Gut-friendly" isn't a regulated term, and no protein heals or repairs your gut. When I use the phrase, I mean something practical: a protein that's less likely to leave you bloated, gassy or running to the bathroom. From reading a lot of labels, I'd say it usually comes down to four things.
- What the protein comes from (dairy or not).
- What sweetens it.
- What else is added, like fibers, gums and fillers.
- How much you have at once.
You can check all four on the label once you know where to look.
The ingredients most likely to bother a sensitive stomach
Lactose
Lactose is the natural sugar in milk. If your small intestine doesn't make enough lactase to digest it, you can end up with bloating, gas and diarrhea, according to the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It's very common. A global analysis estimated that about two-thirds of adults worldwide have lactose malabsorption, with big differences by region (Storhaug and colleagues, 2017). Whey comes from milk, and whey concentrates in particular can carry some lactose. That's one reason some women feel better on a dairy-free protein.
Sugar alcohols
Sugar-free protein products often use sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol or erythritol. A systematic review found that these polyols are poorly absorbed in a dose-dependent way, so bigger amounts are more likely to cause symptoms, and mixing several polyols makes malabsorption worse (Lenhart and Chey, 2017). If your "sugar-free" shake bothers you, look for anything ending in "-itol."
Fermentable carbs and added fibers
Lactose and sugar alcohols both belong to a bigger group of fermentable carbohydrates called FODMAPs. The group also includes fructans like inulin and chicory root fiber, which show up in a lot of protein bars and shakes. A low-FODMAP diet, usually guided by a dietitian, has been tested in at least 10 randomized trials in people with irritable bowel syndrome, and many participants had less bloating and gas (Staudacher and Whelan, 2017). You don't need to go fully low-FODMAP to use the lesson. Fewer added fermentable ingredients usually means fewer surprises.
Serving size
Even a protein you tolerate well can feel heavy if you drink 40g of it on an empty stomach. Half a serving for the first few days is an easy way to find your comfort zone.
Why do I feel bloated after a protein shake?
Usually it's one of the triggers above, not the protein itself. Think lactose in a whey concentrate, sugar alcohols in a "sugar-free" formula, an added fiber, or a big serving chugged fast.
To find your trigger, change one thing at a time. Switch to a dairy-free protein for two weeks, or keep your protein and switch to one without sugar alcohols, and write down what you notice. If bone broth protein itself is the question, read does bone broth protein cause bloating. For the dairy side, see is bone broth protein dairy free.
Whey, plant, collagen or bone broth: how they compare
| Protein type | Dairy? | Things to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Whey concentrate | Yes | Can contain some lactose; check the sweetener |
| Whey isolate | Yes | Less lactose than concentrate, but still a milk protein |
| Pea and plant blends | No | Check for added fibers, gums and sugar alcohols |
| Collagen peptides | No | Usually unflavored; low in some essential amino acids |
| Bone broth protein | No | Collagen-rich; low in some essential amino acids; check the sweetener and allergens |
Each of these has a place. If dairy agrees with you, whey is a strong choice for building muscle, and our bone broth protein vs whey comparison goes deeper on that one. Plant blends suit vegans. Collagen and bone broth proteins are dairy-free and easy to use in a warm drink, but they're naturally low in some essential amino acids, such as tryptophan. They work best as one protein in your day next to eggs, fish, meat, dairy or beans.
Where Bone Broth Protein Mix fits
We built our Mix around this same checklist. It's dairy-free, and the creaminess comes from organic coconut milk and oat milk. It's sweetened with monk fruit, with 0g sugar and no sugar alcohols. The Classic Chocolate ingredient list is seven items long: grass-fed bone broth, organic cocoa powder, organic coconut milk, organic oat milk, organic monk fruit, organic chocolate flavor and Redmond's pink salt. Each scoop has 14g of protein and 10g+ of naturally occurring collagen, and it mixes into warm water or milk without a blender.
“When we built Rae Basics, a short ingredient list was really important to me. If we were going to create Rae Basics, I wanted to do it with ingredients I would want to have myself and that I would want to give my kids.”
Skotie Rae, RN, founder
A lot of our customers tell us they found us after whey left them bloated. That doesn't mean it'll agree with every stomach. It contains coconut and is made with oat milk, and everyone's different. If you're trying it for the first time, I'd start with half a scoop in warm milk or water for a few days. Every ingredient is listed on Rae Basics at a glance, or you can go straight to our dairy-free Bone Broth Protein Mix.
Two easy first recipes are the Protein Hot Chocolate for a warm mug and Chai Overnight Oats for a make-ahead breakfast. If you eat low-carb, read is bone broth protein keto, and if you drink coffee, see bone broth protein in coffee.
When bloating is a reason to see your clinician
Switching proteins is a reasonable first step for mild bloating that comes and goes. It isn't the answer for everything. Talk with your clinician if you have:
- bloating, pain or diarrhea that won't go away or is getting worse
- weight loss you can't explain, blood in your stool, vomiting or trouble swallowing
- symptoms that wake you up at night
- a known digestive condition, kidney disease or a doctor's instruction to limit protein
A clinician can test for lactose intolerance and look for other causes, and a registered dietitian can guide an elimination plan safely.
Quick answers
What is the most gut-friendly protein?
There's no single answer, because stomachs differ. Many women do best with a dairy-free protein that has no sugar alcohols, few added fibers and a short ingredient list, started at a small serving.
Is bone broth protein easier to digest than whey?
For people who react to lactose, a dairy-free protein like bone broth protein often sits better. If you tolerate dairy well, whey may be fine for you.
Why does my protein shake make me gassy?
Common culprits are lactose, sugar alcohols like sorbitol or maltitol, added fibers like inulin, and big servings taken quickly. Change one thing at a time to find yours.
Does Rae Basics contain sugar alcohols?
No. Bone Broth Protein Mix is sweetened with organic monk fruit and has 0g sugar per scoop.
Is Bone Broth Protein Mix dairy-free?
Yes. The creaminess comes from organic coconut milk and oat milk. It contains coconut and oat.
Sources
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Lactose Intolerance.
- Storhaug CL, Fosse SK, Fadnes LT. Country, regional, and global estimates for lactose malabsorption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;2(10):738-746.
- Lenhart A, Chey WD. A systematic review of the effects of polyols on gastrointestinal health and irritable bowel syndrome. Adv Nutr. 2017;8(4):587-596.
- Staudacher HM, Whelan K. The low FODMAP diet: recent advances in understanding its mechanisms and efficacy in IBS. Gut. 2017;66(8):1517-1527.
