Can I Have Whey On A Gluten Free Diet?

If your looking to add some whey protein into your diet to reach fitness goals or maybe one of your smoothie mixes has whey inside of it, you might be wondering if whey is gluten-free? 

Whey isolate and concentrate are typically gluten-free, however, when buying protein powder mixes you need to be making sure that all the other ingredients are also gluten free. 

We’ve discussed in further detail below what whey is, the benefits of adding whey into your diet, how to know if you gluten intolerant and some gluten free whey brands.

What Is Whey?

Whey is one of the two main proteins in milk and on its own often tastes like plain yoghurt, it is the byproduct of cheese.

The soft powder can be easily added to sauces and protein powders and is full of important amino acids for the body which can help support muscle growth and repair.

Since whey is a naturally derived milk protein it does not contain any gluten, however gluten can be found in certain protein powders so you do need to be careful.

Benefits Of Adding Whey To Your Diet 

Many bodybuilders and athletes consume whey regularly in their diet in order to improve their performance, however, whey also has lots of other nutritional benefits which we will list below. 

• Promotes muscle growth – Whey when combined with a healthy diet and working out can help to promote muscle growth.
• Can help with blood sugar – Whey protein can be useful for stabilising blood sugar when taken with a meal.
• Lowers cholesterol – Whey can help to lower LDL which is bad cholesterol levels in the body.
• Good for hunger – Whey protein is good for controlling your hunger since it is very satiating due to it being high in protein, this can help you to stay full in between meals. 
• Helps reduce inflammation – Whey can reduce something called CRP in the body which causes inflammation when taken regularly. 

How Do I Know If I’m Gluten Intolerant? 

If you suspect you are gluten intolerant and are trying to avoid foods with gluten then you might have been suffering from the following symptoms which can indicate you are gluten intolerant.

• Headache. 
• Constipation/Diarrhea. 
• Bloating. 
• Fatigue.
• Stomach pain.

Gluten Free Whey Protein Brands 

If you have a gluten intolerance you want to make sure you are avoiding protein mixes which contain gluten or that could be contaminated with gluten during the manufacturing process. 

We’ve listed some gluten free whey protein brands down below.

Bodylogix 

This is a blend of whey protein which has less than 20ppm and is sweetened with stevia and comes from grass-fed cows.

Body Fortress 

All of the flavours for body fortress whey protein powders are gluten-free, they also contain all the essential amino acids, the ingredients list for some of their dietary supplement options can contain soy, however.

GNC Pro Performance 

From the GNC range, only their pro performance 100% whey protein is gluten free, and their cookies and creams whey protein supplements are not gluten-free.

Muscle Milk 

This Muscle mass milk protein comes in a powder form and they have a wide range of different flavours in various whey protein concentrates, they all have less than 20ppm.

Isopure Natural 

Coming in two flavours, chocolate and vanilla Isopure, it is considered lactose-free and gluten-free and is sweetened with cane sugar.

Orgain Organic

This is a soy-free, dairy free and gluten free protein powder, sweetened with stevia and made of brown rice protein and pea protein blends.

Quest Protein

Both the cookies and cream and cinnamon crunch protein powders from Quest are gluten free and all of their whey protein supplements are considered to be gluten free containing less than 20ppm.

Vega All In One

Vega all in one is an all-natural protein powder and comes in around eight different flavours, it should be noted that it is produced in a factory which also produces eggs and dairy, however.

Protein Powders To Avoid 

• Optimum gold nutrition – Does not test for gluten therefore could be a possibility of cross-contamination.
• Garden of life – This contains wheat grass and barley grass making it not gluten free.

Frequently Asked Questions About Whey & Gluten

Which sources of protein are not gluten free?

Most sources of whey protein are gluten free unless they have other ingredients mixed in or are produced in a facility where they produce wheat.

How many doses of whey protein should I have per day?

Most protein powders recommend you have between 20-50 grams of protein per day which is around two scoops.

What forms of whey protein are there?

There is whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate and whey protein hydrolysate.

Last Words

Overall, whey is gluten free since it is pure protein, whey protein will only contain gluten if there are extra ingredients added in or if they become cross contaminated with gluten products produced in the same facility.