Protein Shakes for Muscle Building That Don't Flare Up Gout
Rheumatic ConditionsGout
Explore This Topic

Protein Shakes for Muscle Building That Don't Flare Up Gout

Protein Shakes for Muscle Building That Don't Flare Up Gout
Adobe Stock
By
Updated on August 6, 2025
by

Limiting foods that increase uric acid in your body can help prevent gout flare-ups. These include some protein-rich foods like meats, seafood, and poultry. Fortunately, some common shake ingredients, like dairy, can boost your protein intake while reducing symptoms of gout.

Ingredients to Include

Low-Fat Dairy

Low-fat dairy products, like skim (nonfat) milk and fat-free yogurt, are great shake ingredients for people with gout. They are high in protein and can help reduce the risk of gout attacks.

Skim milk has 8 grams (g) of protein and 83 calories per cup.

 Nonfat yogurt has about 10 g of protein per cup.

Try adding one cup of Greek yogurt and a cup of skim milk to a shake or smoothie for 31 g of protein and 217 calories.

Other Ingredients

To maximize your protein shake's benefits, here are some additional gout-friendly ingredients that taste great:

  • Cherries may help lower uric acid levels. Try adding frozen cherries and vanilla extract to a milk-and-yogurt base.
  • Coffee may also help reduce gout outbreaks. Blend coffee ice cubes with milk and a small amount of cocoa powder for a frozen mocha treat.
  • Daily moderate vitamin C intake decreases uric acid in the body.

     Add fruits rich in vitamin C to your shake, including kiwis, strawberries, and citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit.

Protein Powders

If you like to add protein powder to your workout shakes, whey protein isolate — derived from milk — is a good choice. It contains glycomacropeptide, which is a component of milk that appears to reduce the risk of gout.

While plant-based protein powders, such as soy, pea, and hemp, won't make gout worse, they don't provide the same protective effect that dairy products do.

Ingredients to Avoid

The worst foods for gout most likely won't make it into your protein shake. These include red meat, organ meats, and seafood. However, there are some common shake ingredients worth avoiding.

Fructose consumption is associated with an increased risk of gout, so avoid prepackaged shakes that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Also, minimize sweeteners high in fructose, like agave syrup, honey, and palm and coconut sugars.

Limit or avoid alcohol if you have gout, as alcohol and spirits can rapidly increase uric acid levels.

 Don't add alcohol to shakes or make a habit of postworkout beers.

Protein Requirements

The recommended daily protein intake for adults ages 18 and older is 0.8 g per kilogram (kg) of body weight. For example, a 150 pound adult needs about 54 g of protein per day.

In general, 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from protein. Competitive athletes and serious weight lifters will have protein needs toward the high end of this range.

The Takeaway

  • Avoiding foods that increase uric acid in the body, such as those high in purine, can help reduce symptoms of gout.
  • Some high-protein foods, such as meats, seafood, and poultry, are purine rich. However, most protein-shake ingredients are not.
  • Dairy products can help you minimize gout flare-ups and maximize your protein intake.
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. Zhang Y et al. Gout and Diet: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanisms and Management. Nutrients. Aug 26, 2022.
  2. Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A and vitamin D (fat free or skim). U.S. Department Of Agriculture FoodData Central. December 16, 2019.
  3. Yogurt, plain, nonfat. U.S. Department Of Agriculture FoodData Central. October 26, 2023.
  4. Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat. U.S. Department Of Agriculture FoodData Central. April 1, 2019.
  5. Gout Low Purine Diet. Cleveland Clinic. March 14, 2022.
  6. Vitamin C. National Institutes of Health. March 26, 2021.
  7. Fructose intolerance: Which foods to avoid? Mayo Clinic. January 09, 2024.
  8. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academy Press. 2005.
  9. Are you getting enough protein? Mayo Clinic. November 27, 2024.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Lynn Griger photo

Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

See full bio

Cindy Pineo

Author

Cindy Pineo has been writing about diet, wellness and culture since 2002. She is coauthor of the book "The Atkins Diet and Philosophy." Pineo holds a Master of Arts in English literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Arts in humanities from the University of Chicago.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network