Dairy
Buttermilk
How buttermilk scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
ButtermilkExcellent
| Starting score | 100 |
| Dairy Protection | +10 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -6 |
| Sodium | -2.6 |
| Magnesium | +0.7 |
| Saturated Fat | -0.5 |
| Vitamin C | +0.2 |
| 1 smaller factor | +0.1 |
| Protective bonus cap | -3.7 |
| Final score | 98 |
Buttermilk scores 98 out of 100 and sits in the excellent band. Among the lower-risk choices for most people with gout, and often carries protective nutrients.
Penalties took 9.1 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 7.3 back (trimmed from 11: bonuses can offset at most 80% of the penalties). 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 Fat1.1 g
- Saturated Fat0.55 g
- Sodium92 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars5.4 g
- Protein3.5 g
- Calcium120 mg
- Iron0.01 mg
- Magnesium11 mg
- Vitamin C1 mg
- Folate5 ug
- Water89.8 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 cuptypical244 g
- 1 fl oz31 g
- Quantity not specified244 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 (milk).
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.
- +10Flare + long-term
Dairy ProtectionFlare + long-term
Low-fat dairy protein lowers urate (the orotic acid and casein effect), earning the full protective bonus.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Dalbeth N 2010, Ann Rheum Dis · Dalbeth N 2012, Curr Rheumatol Rep
- -6Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 2 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
- -2.6Long-term
SodiumLong-term
92 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 2.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- +0.7Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
11 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 2.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- -0.5Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
0.55 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 2.4x for the typical portion. Discounted 75% because dairy fat shows a weaker association.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- +0.2Long-term
Vitamin CLong-term
1 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, scaled 2.4x for the typical portion. Vitamin C helps the kidneys excrete urate.
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2011, Arthritis Care Res
- +0.1Long-term
FolateLong-term
5 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 2.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Common questions
About buttermilk
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.