Unsweetened Apple Juice
Unsweetened Apple Juice is higher risk. Keep portions small and occasional, especially during a flare. A typical 240 g serving has about 12 mg of purines, about 3% of a ~400 mg working daily target. It also carries about 15 g of fructose per serving, which raises uric acid on its own.
General information, not a substitute for advice from your doctor or dietitian.
How much can I eat?
A typical serving is about 240 g, which delivers 12 mg of purines, or about 3% of a ~400 mg working daily target.
Nothing is added here: this is the fruit’s own sugar. But a glass carries what several pieces of fruit would give you, and cohort studies link even unsweetened 100% juice to higher gout risk (about 41% for a daily glass of orange juice). Whole fruit is the safer form.
Evidence: Ayoub-Charette et al., J Nutr 2021 (fructose by food source) · White et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2018 (whole apple vs. a fructose drink, matched dose)
Purines are not the limit here: even a large serving stays well within a ~400 mg working daily purine target. The sugar is what climbs with the portion.
Only part of these purines counts toward gout: the 12 mg here counts as roughly 6 mg toward your gout risk.
Portion size is what matters most here, and it’s easy to misjudge by eye. A kitchen scale makes it simple.
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Why grade D
Higher risk. Keep portions small and occasional, especially during a flare.
Fructose in juice form raises uric acid as your body breaks it down, even though nothing is added and the purine number looks low.
Per 100 g (for comparison)
Low for gout (< 50 mg/100g).
Moderate for gout (3–8 g/100g).
Processing: NOVA 1 of 4 (unprocessed or minimally processed). How processing affects the grade.
Juice delivers the sugar of several pieces of fruit in a glass you can finish in a minute, and cohort studies link even unsweetened 100% juice to higher gout risk (about 41% for a daily glass of orange juice). Whole fruit is the safer choice; if you drink juice, keep the glass small.
Eating unsweetened apple juice as part of a bigger dish? The Dish Decoder grades the whole plate, ingredient by ingredient.
Make it safer
Reaching for Unsweetened Apple Juice? These lower-risk picks scratch the same itch and grade better.
Other forms of apple
Different cuts, species, or preparations vary in purines. The most common form of "apple" is shown first below.