Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate is fine in moderation. Watch your portion size, especially during a flare. A typical 40 g serving has about 10 mg of purines, about 3% of a ~400 mg working daily target.
General information, not a substitute for advice from your doctor or dietitian.
Low in purines, but ultra-processed. Ultra-processed foods are linked to higher gout risk on their own, so we do not rate this as safe to eat freely. (UK Biobank 2024)
How much can I eat?
A typical serving is about 40 g, which delivers 10 mg of purines, or about 3% of a ~400 mg working daily target.
Added fructose raises uric acid on its own, so keep sugary foods and drinks small. This is the fructose, not the total sugar: a sucrose-sweetened product carries roughly twice this much sugar overall.
Evidence: Ayoub-Charette et al., J Nutr 2021 (fructose by food source) · White et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2018 (whole apple vs. a fructose drink, matched dose)
Even a large serving stays well within a ~400 mg working daily purine target.
These are plant purines, which research links far more weakly to flares: the 10 mg here counts as roughly 3 mg toward your gout risk.
Portion size is what matters most here, and it’s easy to misjudge by eye. A kitchen scale makes it simple.
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Why grade C
Fine in moderation. Mind your portion size, especially during a flare.
Per 100 g (for comparison)
Low for gout (< 50 mg/100g).
High for gout (8–15 g/100g).
This purine value is inferred, not measured directly for this food. See the sources note below for how it was derived.
Processing: NOVA 4 of 4. How processing affects the grade.
Eating dark chocolate as part of a bigger dish? The Dish Decoder grades the whole plate, ingredient by ingredient.
Other forms of chocolate
Different cuts, species, or preparations vary in purines. The most common form of "chocolate" is shown first below.