Best Protein Powder for Kidney Disease

Pre-dialysis or non-dialysis patients should not consume protein powder since they are following a lower protein diet.

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Protein powder is a popular choice for supplementing protein for people with dialysis. Protein powder can be added to a variety of foods to give them a protein boost. Protein powder is also typically less expensive than other types of supplements such as bars or shakes.

What should I look for in a protein powder?

If you’re on dialysis, you’ve probably been told to consume more protein and may be wondering which protein powder is safe for kidneys. Follow these guidelines when reviewing a protein powder:

Low Phosphorus Protein Powder

Foods that are higher in protein are naturally higher in phosphorus. However, phosphorus found naturally in foods is poorly absorbed and has low bioavailability. Phosphorus additives, on the other hand, have a very high bioavailability and can really drive up phosphorus levels.

Many protein powders contain added phosphates, which need to be avoided by people on dialysis. Phosphorus additives drive up your phosphorus levels. High phosphorus levels are bad for your cardiovascular system. The best way to limit phosphorus in your diet is to avoid foods that contain phosphorus additives. You can check for phosphorus additives by reviewing the ingredient list and searching for any ingredient that contains “PHOS”.

Low Sodium Protein Powder

Despite being mostly sweet flavored, a shocking number of protein powders contain A LOT of added salt and sodium. Too much sodium can increase your thirst, and cause you to drink too much fluid. Drinking too much fluid can put strain on your heart. It can also build up in different body parts causing pain and swelling. When fluid builds up in your lungs, it can make you feel short of breath.

Following a low sodium diet if you are on dialysis is extremely important. Most sodium comes from processed foods, so be sure to check food labels and choose foods that have more calories than sodium. We recommend choosing foods that have less sodium than calories.

The recommended intake of sodium is less than 2,300mg for people on dialysis.

Low Calcium Protein Powder

Many protein powders contain added calcium, which needs to be limited by many people on dialysis. Fortunately, calcium is listed on the food label, so we know exactly how much calcium is in each protein powder.

Low Potassium Protein Powder

Depending on your unique needs, you may be interested in finding a low potassium protein powder.

People on hemodialysis are more likely to need to watch their potassium intake, while people on peritoneal dialysis frequently need to consume more potassium. You should consult your doctor or dietitian to determine if you need to watch your potassium intake.

Generally, a food is considered low in potassium if it contains less than 200mg of potassium per serving. With protein powders, chocolate flavors tend to be higher in potassium, but not too high.

Other considerations:

Since the purpose of protein powder is to add more protein to your day, we recommend choosing a protein powder that contains at least 12g of protein per serving – people on dialysis need more protein, so it is important that each serving contain adequate protein

Depending on your unique nutrition needs, you may also be concerned with carbohydrates, sugar, and fiber. We have listed these nutrients as well to help you make an informed decision.

Recommended Protein Powders:

Note: Nutrition information is provided for the flavor pictured. To avoid cluttering the post, we do not feature every single flavor offered, however we do review the nutrient information of all flavors. If there are certain flavors that do not meet the criteria, we will indicate this in the description. Always double check nutrition information before purchasing. We searched for protein powders that contained at least 12g of protein, less than 150mg of calcium, less sodium than calories, and contained zero phosphorus additives.

Ascent Protein Powder

• Calories: 120
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrate: 2g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 40mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 158mg
• Calcium: 152mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 1g

Technically this low sodium protein powder is over on the calcium by 2mg, but we are going to include it anyway since it is so close. This low sodium and low phosphorus protein powder comes in several flavors, and all of them are low in carbohydrates making them a good choice for people with diabetes. They also make plant based proteins that are appropriate for people on dialysis. This protein powder is also considered a low potassium protein powder. Click the icon below to check prices and reviews.

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Dymatize Elite Whey Powder

• Calories: 140
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrate: 2g
• Fat: 3g
• Sodium: 95mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 140mg
• Calcium: 130mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 2g

This kidney friendly protein powder comes in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla. Both are low carbohydrate and low sugar, which make this protein powder a good choice for people with diabetes. The chocolate flavor is higher in potassium, so patients on hemodialysis may prefer to choose the vanilla flavor. Both flavors are considered low sodium protein powders that contain no phosphorus additives. Click the icon below to check prices and reviews.

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Dymatize ISO 100 Hydrolyzed Protein

• Calories: 110
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrate: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Sodium: 100mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 100mg
• Calcium: 90mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g

This kidney friendly protein powder comes in several flavors that are low carbohydrate and low sugar. However some of them are considered high in sodium and should be avoided. Gourmet Chocolate, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Bun, and Cocoa Pebbles flavors are too high in sodium. Double check the sodium content prior to purchasing a flavor. Click the icon below to check prices and reviews.

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Puori Protein Powder

• Calories: 120
• Protein: 21g
• Carbohydrate: 4g
• Fat: 1.5g
• Sodium: 90mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 150mg
• Calcium: 110mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 3g

This kidney friendly protein powder comes in two flavors. Both flavors are low in carbohydrates and sugar making them good choices for people with diabetes. The chocolate flavor is considered high in potassium, so people with elevated potassium levels should avoid the chocolate flavor. Both flavors are considered low sodium protein powders with phosphorus additives. Click the icon below to check prices and reviews.

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Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey

• Calories: 120
• Protein: 24g
• Carbohydrate: 4g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 105mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 150mg
• Calcium: 130mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g

This kidney friendly protein powder comes in many different flavors, however some of these flavors contain phosphorus additives and should be avoided. The flavors that meet our guidelines for being low sodium and low phosphorus protein powders include: Vanilla, Banana Cream, Chocolate Mint (high potassium), Cookies and Cream, Double Rich Chocolate (high potassium), French Vanilla Creme, Mocha Capuccino (High Potassium), Rocky Road (High Potassium), Strawberries and Cream, Delicious Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, and Vanilla Ice Cream. All of these flavors would be considered low sodium protein powders with no phosphorus additives. Click the icon below to check prices and reviews.

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