Cheese Purine Ranking: Lowest to Highest

Lowest Purine Cheese

Highest Purine Cheese

#25cheese, queso fresco0.7 mg

#24cheese, processed (unspecified)2.0 mg

#23Cheese5.7 mg

#22cheese, american7.0 mg

#21cheese, queso oaxaca7.9 mg

#20cheese, cottage8.0 mg

#19cheese, queso cotija8.6 mg

#18cheese, monterey jack9.1 mg

#17cheese, provolone12.6 mg

#16cheese, grated13.0 mg

Category Average: 3.0 mg/100g

The average across 25 Cheese foods with lab-measured data. Foods below this average are better-than-typical choices within this category.

How to Use This Ranking

The purine ranking is sorted from lowest to highest. Rank #1 is the lowest-purine food in the category. Foods in the top half (above median) should be consumed with more awareness of portion and frequency. The difference between adjacent ranks varies: in some categories, rank #5 and #10 might be only 10 mg apart; in others, the gap can be 100+ mg. Always check the actual milligram value, not just the position. Rankings do not account for fructose or alcohol — use individual food pages for a complete risk assessment.

ACR 2020 Guideline Context

The American College of Rheumatology recommends that gout patients focus on purine awareness rather than complete food group elimination. Within any category, there is a wide purine range. The goal is to shift toward lower-purine choices within categories you already eat, rather than eliminating entire food groups. This ranking helps you identify which specific items to prioritize and which to limit.

Japanese guidelines recommend under 400 mg of total dietary purines per day. Using this ranking, you can estimate how much of budget each food uses per typical serving.

How This Comparison Is Built

Every food in this comparison passes through a three-factor risk model that looks at purines, fructose, and alcohol independently. Purine values are sourced from the USDA+ODS-NIH PURINE DATABASE Release 2 (March 2025) and Kaneko et al. (Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721, 2014, PMID: 24553148), fructose from USDA SR28. Verdicts apply ACR 2020 limits — Safe means under 50 mg purine and 2 g fructose with no alcohol; Moderate falls between; Avoid exceeds these or contains alcohol. Data quality tiers (T1/T2/T3) are listed on each food's detail page.

This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual tolerance to purines and fructose varies. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized dietary guidance. Last reviewed: 2026-09-03.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cheese good for gout?

Cheese is low in purines — in our database, most cheeses list about 0.0–13.0 mg/100g, well below meat and seafood. As a dairy food, it sits in the food group with a protective association in gout research. The caveat is fat content, not purines.

Which cheese is lowest in purines?

Among 25 cheeses with measured purine values, the lowest options include cheese, parmesan, grated at 0.0 mg/100g and cheese, pasteurized process, american, vitamin d fortified at 0.0 mg/100g. All cheeses are low in purines; the differences are small.

Can I eat cheese freely with gout?

Cheese is low in purines, so it does not need to be restricted for gout reasons. The practical caveats are portion (cheese is calorie-dense and higher in saturated fat) and sodium (relevant for gout patients with high blood pressure or kidney disease). Moderation is about overall health, not purines.

Cheese Ranked by Purine Content