Peanuts and Gout: Are They Okay to Eat?
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Can You Eat Peanuts if You Have Gout?

Can You Eat Peanuts if You Have Gout?
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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Gout is a complex type of arthritis. It occurs due to high levels of uric acid in the blood, excess amounts of which can form sharp, painful crystals in the joints. Consuming foods with high concentrations of purine compounds can exacerbate its symptoms, as the body produces more uric acid after breaking these down.

Health professionals recommend that people with gout follow a diet emphasizing plant-based foods that provide either low or moderate amounts of purines.

 A moderate serving of nuts, in particularly peanuts, can be one of the best low-to-moderate-purine protein sources for people with gout.

What Is Gout?

Gout occurs when crystals of excess uric acid build up in the joints, especially joints in the toes, knees, ankles, fingers, and wrists. The uric acid crystals cause inflammation and swelling in the tissue within the joint, resulting in episodes of extreme pain, fever, and the formation of lumps directly beneath the surface of the skin.

Medical conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart or kidney issues can increase a person’s risk of gout. Having a family history of gout, being overweight or having obesity, or eating a diet high in shellfish, red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol can also make gout more likely.

You can often control gout symptoms with anti-inflammatory and corticosteroid drugs.

 However, health professionals strongly recommend adopting a diet that is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium, and low in purine compounds, as this may reduce the need to take as many medications.

Peanuts as Part of a Low-Purine Diet for Gout

Moderate servings of peanuts and peanut butter are a good source of protein for people with gout.

 They contain low-to-moderate amounts of purines.

 Plus, peanuts are technically legumes rather than nuts, meaning that they’re acceptable as part of a gout management diet.

Purines are compounds like guanine, adenine, and xanthine that form the basic building blocks of DNA, RNA, and an energy source called adenosine triphosphate in both plants and animals. After you consume them, purines break down and produce the uric acid that contributes to gout-related crystal buildup.

Peanuts contain 49.1 milligrams of purine per 100 grams. As with other plant sources, this is generally considered a low-to-moderate purine concentration.

 Peanuts may also provide other benefits for those with gout, since they contain healthy fats that have anti-inflammatory properties.

Other Recommended Foods for People With Gout

Alongside peanuts, other recommended foods for people with gout include:

  • Eggs, which serve as another low-purine protein source
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Low-purine (lower-sugar) fruits (however, avoid fruit juices, except for cherry juice, since fructose, the main sugar in fruits, increases uric acid, even though the uric acid effects of fructose in whole fruit remain unclear)

  • Cherries and cherry juice

  • Whole grains
  • Nonfat and low-fat dairy, which contains proteins that can increase how much uric acid leaves the body in urine
  • Low-purine fish, including salmon, tuna, sole, tilapia, and flounder
  • Lean poultry (choose chicken breasts over higher-fat drumsticks or thighs)
  • Unsaturated fat oils, such as avocado or olive oil
  • A good amount of water or unsweetened tea, as this helps you remove uric acid from your body

  • Caffeinated coffee, moderate amounts of which may reduce gout risk

A low-purine diet can be heavily restrictive, and sticking to it closely for a long time may be challenging. However, as long as you mix up your protein sources, stay away from the most significant high-purine foods, and consume a good intake of fruits, vegetables, and grains (except oats), you can help to reduce uric acid overload in the body.

Foods to Avoid if You Have Gout

The following foods are no-go where possible, as they contain dangerously high volumes of purine for people with gout:

  • Beer and distilled spirits (moderate amounts of wine are okay)
  • Organ meats, including liver and kidney
  • Sugary foods and drinks, including sugary soda, candy, and desserts
  • High-fructose corn syrup (be careful about checking the labels on food products)
  • Red meat, although if you do end up eating red meat, make sure you remove the fat content and avoid high-fat red meats such as chuck roast or ground chuck

  • Foods high in saturated fats like red meat, ice cream, butter, and cream
You should also limit tuna, shellfish, and anchovies, although they aren’t off-limits. Even though previous approaches have ruled them out of a gout diet, the health benefits of these seafood products may outweigh the risks.

The Takeaway

  • Peanuts are a beneficial, low-to-moderate purine protein source that’s suitable for people who are managing gout.
  • While peanuts contain purine, the content is low enough that it won’t significantly raise uric acid levels. High uric acid levels can lead to gout flare-ups.
  • Those with gout should eat a low-purine diet that’s rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and water to help control flare-ups.
  • If new or worsening symptoms of gout develop, including particularly intense joint pain or swelling, seek medical attention promptly to avoid complications and find relief.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Gout Low Purine Diet. Cleveland Clinic. March 14, 2022.
  2. Rai SK et al. Adherence to Healthy and Unhealthy Plant-Based Diets and the Risk of Gout. JAMA Network Open. May 21, 2024.
  3. Diet and Gout. Kaiser Permanente. July 31, 2024.
  4. Gout: Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. November 16, 2022.
  5. Gout: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic. November 16, 2022.
  6. What Is the Arthritis Known as Gout? American College of Culinary Medicine. November 3, 2021.
  7. Gout Diet Cheat Sheet. Arthritis Foundation. October 19, 2022.
  8. Afzal M et al. Gout. StatPearls. June 23, 2025.
  9. Kaneko K et al. Daily Amount of Purine in Commonly Recommended Well-Balanced Diets in Japan and Overseas. MDPI Nutrients. November 27, 2024.
  10. Rajaram S et al. Effect of Nuts on Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: A Narrative Review. MDPI Nutrients. February 22, 2023.
  11. 7 Foods That Trigger Gout. University of Maryland Medical System.
  12. The Fructose-Gout Connection. Arthritis Foundation. November 16, 2023.
  13. Liang X et al. Causal Association Between Tea Intake and Risk for Gout: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Frontiers in Genetics. July 13, 2023.
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Reyna Franco, RDN

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Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

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She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

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