Dairy
Whole milk
USDA description: Milk, whole
How whole milk scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Whole milkExcellent
| Starting score | 100 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -8 |
| Dairy Protection | +6 |
| Saturated Fat | -1.7 |
| Sodium | -1.1 |
| Magnesium | +0.7 |
| Final score | 96 |
Whole milk scores 96 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 10.8 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 6.7 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 Fat3.2 g
- Saturated Fat1.9 g
- Sodium38 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars4.8 g
- Protein3.3 g
- Calcium123 mg
- Iron0 mg
- Magnesium12 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate0 ug
- Water88.1 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
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.
- -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
- +6Flare + long-term
Dairy ProtectionFlare + long-term
Dairy protein lowers urate, though full-fat dairy earns a smaller bonus than low-fat.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Dalbeth N 2010, Ann Rheum Dis · Dalbeth N 2012, Curr Rheumatol Rep
- -1.7Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
1.86 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
- -1.1Long-term
SodiumLong-term
38 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 whole 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.