Dairy
Fat free (skim) milk
USDA description: Milk, fat free (skim)
How fat free (skim) milk scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Fat free (skim) milkExcellent
| Starting score | 100 |
| Dairy Protection | +10 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -8 |
| Sodium | -1.1 |
| Magnesium | +0.7 |
| Protective bonus cap | -3.4 |
| Final score | 98 |
Fat free (skim) milk 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 10.7: 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 Fat0.08 g
- Saturated Fat0.05 g
- Sodium41 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars5.0 g
- Protein3.4 g
- Calcium132 mg
- Iron0 mg
- Magnesium12 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate2 ug
- Water90.8 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 cuptypical244 g
- 1 fl oz31 g
- 1 individual school container244 g
- Guideline amount per fl oz of beverage3 g
- Guideline amount per cup of hot cereal61 g
- Quantity not specified244 g
Where the purine figure comes from
The purine content of this food has been measured directly in published laboratory studies, so the score uses that measured figure.
We rate this a high 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
- -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
- -1.1Long-term
SodiumLong-term
41 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
12 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 2.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
Common questions
About fat free (skim) milk
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.