How we grade foods
Every grade on GoutSafe is built from published data, not opinion. Here is exactly how it works, and where the limits are.
Last reviewed June 13, 2026.
1. The data
Two things in food drive gout risk: purines, which break down into uric acid, and fructose, which raises uric acid production. For each food we store a value for both, per 100 grams, drawn from the USDA Purine Database, USDA FoodData Central, and peer-reviewed literature. We cover 509 foods today.
2. We score a typical serving
Raw lab values are reported per 100 grams, but you eat servings, not 100-gram blocks. So for each food we scale to a typical serving and work out how much purine that delivers, including as a share of a reasonable daily purine budget. This is why a food that looks alarming per 100 grams, like a dried fish or a spice, can still be fine in the amount you actually eat.
3. The A to E grade
We combine the per-serving purine and fructose load with known triggers and proven benefits into a single risk score, then map that score to a plain grade from A to E.
Low risk in a typical serving. A great everyday choice for a gout-friendly diet.
207 foods
Safe for most people in normal portions.
112 foods
Fine in moderation. Mind your portion size, especially during a flare.
111 foods
Higher risk. Keep portions small and occasional, especially during a flare.
51 foods
High in purines or a known trigger. Best avoided, especially during a flare.
28 foods
- Triggers push a grade toward higher risk: alcohol impairs uric-acid excretion, and added fructose raises uric acid, even when the raw purine number looks low. Because alcohol's risk comes from the ethanol itself and not its purine content, every alcoholic drink is graded at least D, and beer, which adds malt purines on top, is graded E. Non-alcoholic versions are graded on their content like any other drink.
- Benefits are noted when research links a food to lower uric acid or less inflammation, such as cherries or low-fat dairy. We show the supporting study on the food's page.
4. Confidence and what we don't know
Every food shows a confidence level, high, moderate, or limited, based on how well sourced its values are. Where a number is measured on a concentrated form like skin-on fish or a dried ingredient, we flag it directly so it is not mistaken for an ordinary portion.
5. How we keep it honest
We do not publish "medically reviewed by" bylines, because we will not claim credentials we do not have. Instead we show our sources, our confidence, and our reasoning on every food, and we keep our claims conservative. If you spot an error, please tell us and we will correct it.