Is Black Tea safe for gout?

Black Tea is low risk in a normal serving and a good everyday choice for most people with gout. It contains 0 mg of purines per 100g. It contains 0 g of fructose per 100g.

Black Tea

Black Tea is low risk in a normal serving and a good everyday choice for most people with gout.

General information, not a substitute for advice from your doctor or dietitian.

How much can I eat?

Units

A typical serving is about 240 g, which delivers 0 mg of purines, about 0% of a normal day's purine budget.

This serving

8 fl oz

240 g

Purine / serving

0 mg

% daily purine

Purines in this serving0 mg · 0% of a day

0 mg~400 mg daily limit

Adjust the serving

2 fl oz32 fl oz

Even a large serving stays well within a normal day's purine budget.

Black Tea is an easy choice to keep on hand.

Find Black Tea on Amazon

I built GoutSafe to help people with gout. Buying through this link supports the site, at no extra cost to you.

Why grade A

Low risk in a typical serving. A great everyday choice for a gout-friendly diet.

Per 100 g (for comparison)

Purines confidence: low

0 mg/100g

LowModerateHighVery high

Low for gout (< 50 mg/100g).

Fructose confidence: high

0 g/100g

LowModerateHighVery high

Low for gout (< 3 g/100g).

Good to know: Brewed black tea, unsweetened. Negligible total purine (the four uricogenic bases); tea's caffeine/theaflavins are not counted purine bases. For comparison, the only brewed tea with a published lab value (green tea beverage) is 1.67 mg/100 mL. Tea is a gout-safe hydration choice.

Sources

1. Purine data: Negligible_Purine_Beverage Peer-reviewed literature Brewed coffee and tea are not significant dietary purine sources. The USDA & ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods (Release 2.0, March 2025) catalogs 462 foods and 15 alcoholic beverages but lists no brewed coffee or black tea; its only brewed tea (green tea beverage) is 1.67 mg/100 mL. The methylxanthines in coffee/tea (caffeine, theobromine) are NOT the uricogenic purine bases (adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine) that the database measures. Coffee intake is associated with LOWER serum urate and reduced gout risk (Choi HK, Curhan G. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;57(5):816-821; Choi HK, Willett W, Curhan G. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56(6):2049-2055). Total purine therefore set to 0 mg/100 g (negligible).
2. Fructose data: Negligible_Purine_Beverage Peer-reviewed literature Brewed coffee and tea are not significant dietary purine sources. The USDA & ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods (Release 2.0, March 2025) catalogs 462 foods and 15 alcoholic beverages but lists no brewed coffee or black tea; its only brewed tea (green tea beverage) is 1.67 mg/100 mL. The methylxanthines in coffee/tea (caffeine, theobromine) are NOT the uricogenic purine bases (adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine) that the database measures. Coffee intake is associated with LOWER serum urate and reduced gout risk (Choi HK, Curhan G. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;57(5):816-821; Choi HK, Willett W, Curhan G. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56(6):2049-2055). Total purine therefore set to 0 mg/100 g (negligible).

Values are per 100g unless a note says otherwise. Last reviewed June 13, 2026.

How we grade foods

Grades combine purine and fructose data with known gout triggers and benefits. We show our confidence on every food.

Black Tea

How much can I eat?

Why grade A

More from Beverages - Non-Alcoholic

Fresh Orange Juice

Mango Juice (nectar)

Pomegranate Juice

Unsweetened Apple Juice

Unsweetened Pineapple Juice

Unsweetened Grape Juice