Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of EggsFoods to Pair With EggsNutritional ValuesFinding the Best EggsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits of Eggs
Foods to Pair With Eggs
Nutritional Values
Finding the Best Eggs
Frequently Asked Questions
Eggs are a good protein source for individuals withgoutbecause they’re naturally low in purines, which are chemical compounds found in foods and in your body.People with gout are often advised to avoid high-protein foods that are also high in purines, such as organ meat, red meat, and some types of seafood.
This article will discuss the benefits of choosing eggs as a protein source for people with gout. It will also discuss different egg preparations and how to choose the best eggs.
Jackyenjoyphotography / Getty Images
Benefits of Eggs for Gout
When purines are broken down, uric acid is produced. In gout, excess uric acid builds up in the body (hyperuricemia), forming crystals in the joints and causing this painful form of arthritis.
A healthy, balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich whole foods from all food groups is beneficial for gout. Foods high in purines and heavily processed foods should be limited.
TheDietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension(DASH) diet is also frequently recommended because it includes low-purine foods, which may preventgout flare-ups.
Although people with gout should generally avoid or limit animal proteins with ahigh purine content, including shellfish, organ meat, turkey, bacon, and red meat, they can still enjoy moderate amounts of protein with a low purine content.
A 2019 review examined the purine content in various beverages, supplements, and foods. Researchers found that beer and animal-based products (other than eggs and dairy) had the highest amount of purines, while egg products, dairy, fruits, and sweets had the lowest amount.
Furthermore, a 2015 research review examined how different protein sources affected flare-ups in individuals with gout. Researchers found no statistically significant association between eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, or grains and the risk of gout.
If You Have an Egg Allergy
If you have anegg allergy, avoid eggs and foods that contain eggs to prevent a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. If you are allergic to chicken eggs, your healthcare provider may recommend also avoiding eggs from other animals, including geese, turkeys, quails, and ducks.
Egg IntoleranceIf you experience digestive discomfort, such as nausea, bloating, or abdominal pain after eating eggs, you may have anegg intolerance. If egg intolerance is suspected, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider. They can recommend proper testing or an elimination diet to determine if eggs are causing your symptoms.
Egg Intolerance
If you experience digestive discomfort, such as nausea, bloating, or abdominal pain after eating eggs, you may have anegg intolerance. If egg intolerance is suspected, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider. They can recommend proper testing or an elimination diet to determine if eggs are causing your symptoms.
Gout-Friendly Foods to Pair With Eggs
Managing the amount of purines you consume is key to preventing future gout attacks. Low-purine foods that pair well with eggs include:
Nutritional Value of Different Egg Preparations
Eggs are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that the human body requires. They also contain fats, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients.
Boiled eggs are often considered to be healthier than other egg preparations because they are cooked without oil and butter.
One large boiled egg contains:
The way you cook and eat an egg can also impact its nutritional value. For example, an egg white is higher in protein and vitamin B3 but lower in calories, cholesterol, vitamins, and minerals compared to the yolk. One egg white contains around 3.6 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, and 18 calories.
The yolk, on the other hand, is higher in fat and calories. It also is higher in vitamins, containing all vitamins except vitamin C.One egg yolk provides around 2.8 grams of protein, 4.9 grams of fat, and 56 calories.
Ahard-boiled egghas a slightly higher protein content and contains 13 fewer calories than a scrambled egg, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Database. Overall, the nutrient compositions are still very similar between the two.
How Many Eggs Should You Eat With Gout?
There’s no official recommendation on the number of eggs a person with gout should eat. However,eggs have been controversialbecause of their cholesterol content. According to one 2021 observational study, whole eggs may increase a person’s risk for heart disease and mortality.
On average, one large boiled egg contains around 186 milligrams of cholesterol.Previously, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended limiting total dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams per day. While the 2015–2020 guidelines still advise eating as little cholesterol as possible, they have removed the limit.
It’s important to note that research remains mixed. Most experts recommend consuming eggs in moderation as part of a healthy eating pattern. One 2018 study found that up to 12 eggs per week is safe and won’t negatively impact your health.
Additionally, the American Heart Association recommends one egg or two egg whites per day as part of a healthy eating pattern.
Based on current studies, it appears that most healthy adults can safely eat one to two eggs per day. If you have heart disease,high cholesterol, or other health issues, consider talking to a healthcare provider or dietitian about how many eggs are right for you.
How to Find the Best Eggs
You’ve likely come across several terms on egg cartons that have left you feeling confused. Some labels indicate the eggs are “cage-free,” while others are labeled “Certified Organic” or “free range.”
The following definitions will help you find the best eggs and understand the terms on their cartons:
Summary
Eggs are a good source of protein for individuals with gout because they are low in purines. Boiled and scrambled eggs pair well with other low-purine foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Although the exact amount of eggs you should consume each day remains controversial, most experts agree that most healthy individuals can consume one or two eggs per day without any significant health risks.
Frequently Asked QuestionsA well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy, plant-based protein, cherries, and citrus fruits can help lower uric acid and prevent gout flares.Learn MoreWhat to Eat When You Have GoutEggs are a good protein source for individuals with gout because they are low in purines. Bacon should be avoided because it is high in purines.Alcoholic beverages and organ meat (liver) are high in purines. Other meat and seafood, including venison, turkey, veal, scallops, herring, trout, tuna, and sardines, are also high in purines.
A well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy, plant-based protein, cherries, and citrus fruits can help lower uric acid and prevent gout flares.Learn MoreWhat to Eat When You Have Gout
A well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy, plant-based protein, cherries, and citrus fruits can help lower uric acid and prevent gout flares.
Learn MoreWhat to Eat When You Have Gout
Eggs are a good protein source for individuals with gout because they are low in purines. Bacon should be avoided because it is high in purines.
Alcoholic beverages and organ meat (liver) are high in purines. Other meat and seafood, including venison, turkey, veal, scallops, herring, trout, tuna, and sardines, are also high in purines.
20 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Family Physicians.Low-purine diet.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Gout: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.Arthritis Foundation.Which foods are safe for gout?Wu B, Roseland JM, Haytowitz DB, Pehrsson PR, Ershow AG.Availability and quality of published data on the purine content of foods, alcoholic beverages, and dietary supplements.Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2019;84:103281. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2019.103281Teng GG, Pan A, Yuan JM, Koh WP.Food sources of protein and risk of incident gout in the Singapore Chinese Health Study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(7):1933-1942. doi:10.1002/art.39115Food Allergy Research & Education.Egg allergy.Food and Drug Administration.Daily value on the new nutrition and supplement facts labels.Department of Agriculture.Hard-boiled egg.Department of Agriculture.Egg whites.Réhault-Godbert S, Guyot N, Nys Y.The golden egg: nutritional value, bioactivities, and emerging benefits for human health.Nutrients. 2019;11(3):684. doi:10.3390/nu11030684USDA.Egg yolk.Department of Agriculture.Scrambled egg.Zhuang P, Wu F, Mao L, et al.Egg and cholesterol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular and different causes in the United States: a population-based cohort study.PLoS Med. 2021;18(2):e1003508. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508Soliman GA.Dietary cholesterol and the lack of evidence in cardiovascular disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(6):780. doi:10.3390/nu10060780Fuller NR, Sainsbury A, Caterson ID, et al.Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes and Egg (Diabegg) Study—randomized weight-loss and follow-up phase.Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107(6):921-931. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy048American Heart Association.Are eggs good for you or not?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Understanding egg labels.The Humane Society of the United States.How to decipher egg carton labels.Department of Agriculture.Shell egg grades.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Family Physicians.Low-purine diet.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Gout: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.Arthritis Foundation.Which foods are safe for gout?Wu B, Roseland JM, Haytowitz DB, Pehrsson PR, Ershow AG.Availability and quality of published data on the purine content of foods, alcoholic beverages, and dietary supplements.Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2019;84:103281. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2019.103281Teng GG, Pan A, Yuan JM, Koh WP.Food sources of protein and risk of incident gout in the Singapore Chinese Health Study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(7):1933-1942. doi:10.1002/art.39115Food Allergy Research & Education.Egg allergy.Food and Drug Administration.Daily value on the new nutrition and supplement facts labels.Department of Agriculture.Hard-boiled egg.Department of Agriculture.Egg whites.Réhault-Godbert S, Guyot N, Nys Y.The golden egg: nutritional value, bioactivities, and emerging benefits for human health.Nutrients. 2019;11(3):684. doi:10.3390/nu11030684USDA.Egg yolk.Department of Agriculture.Scrambled egg.Zhuang P, Wu F, Mao L, et al.Egg and cholesterol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular and different causes in the United States: a population-based cohort study.PLoS Med. 2021;18(2):e1003508. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508Soliman GA.Dietary cholesterol and the lack of evidence in cardiovascular disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(6):780. doi:10.3390/nu10060780Fuller NR, Sainsbury A, Caterson ID, et al.Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes and Egg (Diabegg) Study—randomized weight-loss and follow-up phase.Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107(6):921-931. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy048American Heart Association.Are eggs good for you or not?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Understanding egg labels.The Humane Society of the United States.How to decipher egg carton labels.Department of Agriculture.Shell egg grades.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Low-purine diet.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Gout: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.Arthritis Foundation.Which foods are safe for gout?Wu B, Roseland JM, Haytowitz DB, Pehrsson PR, Ershow AG.Availability and quality of published data on the purine content of foods, alcoholic beverages, and dietary supplements.Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2019;84:103281. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2019.103281Teng GG, Pan A, Yuan JM, Koh WP.Food sources of protein and risk of incident gout in the Singapore Chinese Health Study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(7):1933-1942. doi:10.1002/art.39115Food Allergy Research & Education.Egg allergy.Food and Drug Administration.Daily value on the new nutrition and supplement facts labels.Department of Agriculture.Hard-boiled egg.Department of Agriculture.Egg whites.Réhault-Godbert S, Guyot N, Nys Y.The golden egg: nutritional value, bioactivities, and emerging benefits for human health.Nutrients. 2019;11(3):684. doi:10.3390/nu11030684USDA.Egg yolk.Department of Agriculture.Scrambled egg.Zhuang P, Wu F, Mao L, et al.Egg and cholesterol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular and different causes in the United States: a population-based cohort study.PLoS Med. 2021;18(2):e1003508. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508Soliman GA.Dietary cholesterol and the lack of evidence in cardiovascular disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(6):780. doi:10.3390/nu10060780Fuller NR, Sainsbury A, Caterson ID, et al.Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes and Egg (Diabegg) Study—randomized weight-loss and follow-up phase.Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107(6):921-931. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy048American Heart Association.Are eggs good for you or not?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Understanding egg labels.The Humane Society of the United States.How to decipher egg carton labels.Department of Agriculture.Shell egg grades.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Low-purine diet.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Gout: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.
Arthritis Foundation.Which foods are safe for gout?
Wu B, Roseland JM, Haytowitz DB, Pehrsson PR, Ershow AG.Availability and quality of published data on the purine content of foods, alcoholic beverages, and dietary supplements.Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2019;84:103281. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2019.103281
Teng GG, Pan A, Yuan JM, Koh WP.Food sources of protein and risk of incident gout in the Singapore Chinese Health Study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(7):1933-1942. doi:10.1002/art.39115
Food Allergy Research & Education.Egg allergy.
Food and Drug Administration.Daily value on the new nutrition and supplement facts labels.
Department of Agriculture.Hard-boiled egg.
Department of Agriculture.Egg whites.
Réhault-Godbert S, Guyot N, Nys Y.The golden egg: nutritional value, bioactivities, and emerging benefits for human health.Nutrients. 2019;11(3):684. doi:10.3390/nu11030684
USDA.Egg yolk.
Department of Agriculture.Scrambled egg.
Zhuang P, Wu F, Mao L, et al.Egg and cholesterol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular and different causes in the United States: a population-based cohort study.PLoS Med. 2021;18(2):e1003508. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508
Soliman GA.Dietary cholesterol and the lack of evidence in cardiovascular disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(6):780. doi:10.3390/nu10060780
Fuller NR, Sainsbury A, Caterson ID, et al.Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes and Egg (Diabegg) Study—randomized weight-loss and follow-up phase.Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107(6):921-931. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy048
American Heart Association.Are eggs good for you or not?
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Understanding egg labels.
The Humane Society of the United States.How to decipher egg carton labels.
Department of Agriculture.Shell egg grades.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
