Are Almonds Bad for Gout? Uric Acid, Purines and How Many to Eat
No. Almonds have about 30 mg of purines per 100 g, roughly 8 mg in a 23-almond handful, and nut eaters tend to have lower uric acid. Raw vs roasted, portions.
TL;DR
- No. Almonds measure about 30 mg of purines per 100 g in the USDA and NIH purine database, in the Low band. A 1-ounce handful (about 23 almonds) has roughly 8 mg.
- In observational studies, people who eat more nuts have lower odds of high uric acid and lower levels of some inflammation markers. That’s an association, not proof.
- The catches are calories (about 165 per ounce) and coatings. Pick raw or dry-roasted, ideally unsalted, over honey-roasted or candied almonds.
Almonds aren’t bad for gout and don’t meaningfully raise uric acid. A 1-ounce handful has about 8 mg of purines, a small fraction of a single serving of meat, and people who eat more nuts tend to have lower uric acid, not higher.
That makes almonds one of the easiest snack calls on a gout diet. The things to watch are the portion, the salt and anything sugary on the outside.
How many purines are in almonds?
Almonds have one lab analysis in the USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods (Release 2, 2025): 31.4 mg per 100 g, which we round to about 30. That’s in the Low band (under 50 mg per 100 g).
| Food | Purines per 100 g | Per typical serving |
|---|---|---|
| Almonds | ~30 mg | ~8 mg per 1 oz (about 23 almonds) |
| Almond butter* | ~30 mg | ~10 mg per 2 tbsp (32 g) |
| Walnuts | ~20 mg | ~6 mg per 1 oz |
| Cashews* | ~40 mg | ~11 mg per 1 oz |
| Peanuts | ~50 mg | ~14 mg per 1 oz |
| Beef jerky* | ~160 mg | ~45 mg per 1 oz |
| Sardines, raw | ~280 mg | ~80 mg per 1 oz |
| Beef steak, raw | ~105 mg | ~180 mg per 6 oz (170 g) |
Not analyzed for the database: almond butter is based on almonds, and cashews and jerky are our reference estimates. Sardines vary between analyses (about 210 to 345 mg per 100 g), and so does beef steak (about 75 to 190).
To match the purines in one 6-ounce steak, you’d need to eat about 600 g of almonds, well over a pound. Purines simply aren’t the issue with almonds.
Do almonds raise or lower uric acid?
Neither in a way you’d notice from a snack. No trial has tested almonds on uric acid, but the observational research leans in nuts’ favor:
- Uric acid. A 2024 meta-analysis of observational studies found that people with higher nut intake had about 25% lower odds of hyperuricemia (high uric acid; odds ratio 0.75).
- Inflammation. In 5,013 adults from two large US cohorts, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, those who ate nuts five or more times a week had about 20% lower C-reactive protein (CRP) and 14% lower interleukin-6 than those who rarely ate them. Small feeding trials of almond-rich diets have lowered some of these markers, but not all of them.
These are general inflammation markers, not gout flares, and observational studies can’t separate nuts from the rest of a healthier diet. No study shows that almonds prevent flares. The safe conclusion: almonds won’t lower uric acid on their own, but swapping them in for meat snacks or sweets moves your diet in the right direction.
What else do almonds bring?
Per 1-ounce (28 g) serving of raw almonds, USDA FoodData Central lists:
| Nutrient | Per 1 oz | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~165 | The real portion limit |
| Protein | 6 g | Plant protein, low in purines |
| Fat | 14 g (about 9 g monounsaturated) | Mostly the same kind of fat as olive oil |
| Fiber | 3.5 g | Helps keep you full |
| Sugar | 1.2 g (under 1 g fructose) | Plain almonds barely add fructose |
| Magnesium | 77 mg | About 18% of the Daily Value |
| Vitamin E | 7.3 mg | About half the Daily Value |
Weight matters for gout: the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 guideline recommends weight loss for people with gout who are overweight. Nuts are calorie-dense, but in three large US cohorts followed for 20 to 24 years, each extra half serving a day (14 g) of tree nuts such as almonds was linked to about 0.36 kg less weight gain per 4-year period, and to a lower risk of obesity. Swapping nuts for red meat, processed meat, fries, desserts or chips was linked to less weight gain. See gout and weight loss.
Raw, roasted, salted or honey-roasted?
Roasting doesn’t add purines. It just dries the nuts slightly, so dry-roasted almonds carry the same purines per handful as raw. The differences are what’s added, per ounce (USDA):
| Type (1 oz) | Sodium | Calories | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw | under 1 mg | ~165 | Best everyday choice |
| Dry-roasted, unsalted | ~1 mg | ~170 | Same purines as raw |
| Dry-roasted, salted | ~65 mg | ~170 | Fine; unsalted if watching blood pressure |
| Honey-roasted | ~35 mg | ~170 | Adds sugar, part of it fructose |
Honey is about 40% fructose (is honey bad for gout), and candied or chocolate-covered almonds are closer to dessert than to a nut snack. If you like chocolate with your almonds, a few plain almonds with a square of 70% or darker chocolate carries far less sugar; see is chocolate bad for gout.
How to eat almonds with gout
- Portion: about 1 ounce, roughly 23 almonds. Pre-portion them so you don’t eat from the bag.
- Snack swaps: an ounce of almonds instead of an ounce of beef jerky is about 8 mg of purines instead of about 45 mg.
- Breakfast: stir sliced almonds into plain yogurt or oatmeal with fresh berries (is yogurt good for gout).
- Salads and grain bowls: a tablespoon of slivered almonds adds crunch and protein.
- Almond butter: a measured 2 tablespoons on whole grain toast or apple slices instead of jam.
- Mixed nuts: fine, as long as the mix is plain. Blends heavy on peanuts are a little higher in purines, and blends with dried fruit or honey-roasted nuts add sugar. More in are peanuts bad for gout.
If you’d like to see how snacks fit into your week, an app like Urica can log them alongside meals and flares.
The Bottom Line
Almonds aren’t bad for gout. At about 30 mg of purines per 100 g, roughly 8 mg per handful, they’re among the lowest-purine snacks you can eat. Observational studies link nut intake to lower odds of high uric acid and lower inflammation markers, though no trial shows that almonds lower uric acid directly. Keep portions to about an ounce for calorie reasons, choose raw or dry-roasted over honey-roasted or candied, go unsalted when you can, and use almonds to replace meat snacks and sweets rather than to add to them.
Sources
- USDA and ODS-NIH. Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2 (2025).
- USDA FoodData Central. Nuts, almonds.
- Chi X, et al. Effects of dietary factors on hyperuricaemia and gout: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2024.
- Yu Z, et al. Associations between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016.
- Liu X, et al. Changes in nut consumption influence long-term weight change in US men and women. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2019.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your rheumatologist or healthcare provider about your specific situation.
Track Your Personal Response
Everyone responds differently to foods. Urica helps you track how specific foods affect YOUR flare patterns by analyzing purines, fructose, and glycemic load together — not just purines alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do almonds increase uric acid?
No. Almonds are low in purines, about 30 mg per 100 g or roughly 8 mg per ounce, so a handful adds very little to the uric acid your body makes. In observational studies, people who eat more nuts tend to have lower odds of high uric acid; a 2024 meta-analysis put it at about 25% lower. That's an association, not proof that almonds lower uric acid, so keep taking any medicine your doctor prescribed.
Are roasted almonds OK for gout?
Yes. Roasting doesn't add purines, so dry-roasted almonds are as low in purines as raw ones, about 8 mg per ounce. What changes is what's added. Salted almonds carry sodium, which matters for blood pressure rather than uric acid, and honey-roasted, candied or chocolate-covered almonds add sugar, part of it fructose. Plain raw or unsalted dry-roasted almonds are the best everyday choice.
How many almonds can you eat per day with gout?
Purines aren't the limit: an ounce, about 23 almonds, has only about 8 mg. Calories are, at about 165 per ounce, and weight matters for gout. A daily ounce fits well, or up to 2 ounces if almonds replace meat snacks, chips or sweets rather than adding to them. Pre-portion them instead of eating from the bag.
Are mixed nuts bad for gout?
No. Common nuts are all low in purines or close to it: walnuts about 20 mg per 100 g, almonds about 30, cashews about 40 and peanuts, technically a legume, about 50, at the bottom edge of the Moderate band. An ounce of mixed nuts works out to roughly 6 to 14 mg of purines. Pick unsalted, uncoated mixes, and go easy on blends heavy with honey-roasted nuts or dried fruit.
Is almond milk good for gout?
It's fine, but it doesn't do what dairy milk does. Unsweetened almond milk is mostly water, with under 40 calories and about 1 g of protein per cup, so it adds almost no purines. The research linking dairy to lower gout risk is about cow's milk and other dairy, whose proteins help the kidneys clear uric acid. Choose unsweetened, and get some dairy elsewhere if you tolerate it.