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Beverage

Bubble tea

USDA description: Tea, bubble

How bubble tea scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.

Food Index score

Bubble teaExcellent

88/ 100
0100
Based on a well-supported purine estimate
What moved this score
Starting score100
Nutrient Gaps-10
Saturated Fat-5.5
Hydration+3
Sodium-0.4
Fiber+0.3
Magnesium+0.1
Final score88
Flare risk (acute)100
Long-term (chronic)85

Bubble tea scores 88 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 15.9 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 3.4 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

Amounts per 100 g
Typical serving435 g
Calories55
  • Total Fat1.4 g
  • Saturated Fat0.84 g
  • Sodium9 mg
  • Dietary Fiber0.10 g
  • Total Sugars3.5 g
  • Protein0.39 g
  • Calcium15 mg
  • Iron0.13 mg
  • Magnesium1 mg
  • Vitamin C0.10 mg
  • Folate1 ug
  • Water86.2 g
  • Alcohol0 g
  • Omega-3 EPA0 g
  • Omega-3 DHA0 g

Common portions

  • 1 fl oz30 g
  • 1 item, any sizetypical435 g
  • 1 cup240 g
  • Quantity not specified435 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 (tea).

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.

PointsFactor
  • -10

    Nutrient GapsLong-term

    Provides meaningful amounts of only 0 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

  • -5.5

    Saturated FatLong-term

    0.84 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 4.3x for the typical portion.

    Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol

  • +3

    HydrationFlare risk

    86.24 g of water per 100 g. Staying hydrated helps the kidneys clear urate.

    Evidence: Neogi T 2014, Am J Epidemiol

  • -0.4

    SodiumLong-term

    9 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 4.3x for the typical portion.

    Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res

  • +0.3

    FiberLong-term

    0.1 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, scaled 4.3x for the typical portion.

    Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol

  • +0.1

    MagnesiumLong-term

    1 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 4.3x for the typical portion.

    Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ

Common questions

About bubble tea

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.

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