Beverage
Light beer
USDA description: Beer, light
How light beer scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Light beerAvoid
| Starting score | 100 |
| Category: Beer | -40 |
| Alcohol | -26.8 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -8 |
| Purine Load | -2.7 |
| Magnesium | +0.5 |
| Purine-Alcohol Synergy | -0.4 |
| 2 smaller factors | 0 |
| Final score | 23 |
Light beer scores 23 out of 100 and sits in the avoid band. Among the highest-risk foods in the database, with the strongest evidence linking it to gout risk.
Penalties took 78.1 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.7 back. Every factor is listed in full below.
Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.
The underlying data
Nutrition and portions
Nutrition Facts
- Total Fat0 g
- Saturated Fat0 g
- Sodium4 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0.09 g
- Protein0.24 g
- Calcium4 mg
- Iron0.03 mg
- Magnesium5 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate6 ug
- Water94.9 g
- Alcohol3.1 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 fl oz30 g
- 1 can or bottle (12 fl oz)typical360 g
- 1 can or bottle (16 fl oz)480 g
- Quantity not specified360 g
Where the purine figure comes from
No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (beer).
We rate this a good confidence estimate.
How purines affect the score →Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.
Scoring rationale
Every factor, in full
Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.
- -40Flare + long-term
Category: BeerFlare + long-term
Guanosine-rich purines + alcohol synergy; highest gout risk among beverages (Choi 2004).
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Choi HK 2008, BMJ · Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -26.8Flare risk
AlcoholFlare risk
3.1 g of alcohol per 100 g, scaled 3.6x for the typical portion. Alcohol slows the kidneys' clearance of urate.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res · Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -8Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 1 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -2.7Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
13 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 0.5x as a beverage source and 3.6x for the typical portion: 23 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- +0.5Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
5 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 3.6x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- -0.4Flare risk
Purine-Alcohol SynergyFlare risk
Purines and alcohol arrive together (purine load at 4% of maximum, alcohol at 77%), which raises flare risk more than either alone.
Evidence: Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -0.2Long-term
SodiumLong-term
4 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 3.6x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- +0.2Long-term
FolateLong-term
6 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 3.6x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Common questions
About light beer
Look up any food's Food Index score
Each score lists the factors that moved it, the portion it assumes, and the studies behind each factor's weight.