Nuts and Gout: Which Are Safe? (2026)

Nuts are low-purine food. In the USDA/ODS-NIH purine database walnuts measure 20 mg of purines per 100 g, almonds 31 and raw peanuts 49, versus 131 to 289 mg for chicken breast and 133 to 189 for ground beef. They are also fructose-free. What changes the picture is the coating: of 1,571 US nut products with an ingredient list, 6% list honey or another fructose sweetener (honey alone appears on 92 products) and 3% list yeast extract in a seasoning. Plain, roasted and salted nuts carry neither.

What to check on the label

Honey-roasted, glazed, candied or 'sweet and salty' nuts. The glaze is honey, corn syrup or a fructose syrup, and it turns a low-purine snack into a fructose load.
Yeast extract in bold, wasabi, ranch or barbecue seasonings, a concentrated purine source that turns up on 3% of US nut labels.
Sodium on salted mixes: the median US nut product runs 200 mg per 100 g, but seasoned blends can go far higher.
Portion. Nuts are calorie-dense, and the 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline conditionally recommends weight loss for gout patients who are overweight, so a small handful is the right unit.

The gout-friendliest nuts

Plain or dry-roasted almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews and peanuts, salted or unsalted, are the gout-friendliest nuts: no sweetener, no seasoning blend, and purine levels among the lowest of any protein-rich food.

Nuts that rate as a gout-friendly pick

Nuts to limit or skip

Frequently asked

Are nuts bad for gout?

No. The nuts measured in the USDA/ODS-NIH purine database all fall in the low range: walnuts 20 mg of purines per 100 g, almonds 31, raw peanuts 49. Chicken breast measures 131 to 289. Plain nuts are also free of fructose, the other dietary input that raises uric acid.

What nuts are good for gout?

Any plain nut. Walnuts (20 mg per 100 g) and almonds (31 mg) are the lowest measured, peanuts sit at 49 mg, and none of the measured nuts approaches meat. The choice that matters is plain versus coated: skip honey-roasted glazes and yeast-extract seasonings.

Are cashews OK for gout?

Cashews are not individually measured in the USDA purine database, but every nut that has been measured falls between 20 and 49 mg per 100 g, and cashews are not a known exception. Plain or salted cashews are fine; watch the flavored versions for yeast extract and sweet glazes.

Is peanut butter OK for gout?

Peanuts measure 49 mg of purines per 100 g, so plain peanut butter is a low-purine food. The thing to check is the sweetener: some spreads add sugar, corn syrup or honey. A natural peanut butter with peanuts and salt only is the gout-friendly pick.

Are honey-roasted nuts bad for gout?

They are the nut product to skip. The glaze is honey, corn syrup or another fructose syrup, and fructose is the dietary sugar most consistently linked with higher uric acid. Of 1,571 US nut products we checked, 92 list honey. Choose plain roasted or salted instead.

Nuts and gout: which are safe?