Are Chickpeas Bad for Gout? Chickpea Purines and Hummus
No. Cooked chickpeas have about 10 mg of purines per 100 g, among the lowest of any legume. What that means for hummus, canned chickpeas and roasted snacks.
TL;DR
- Chickpeas are one of the lowest-purine legumes: about 10 mg per 100 g cooked and about 22 mg canned and drained, per recent USDA analyses.
- Large studies link legumes to no increase, or even a decrease, in gout risk, unlike meat and seafood.
- Hummus is a good gout-friendly snack. The things to watch are salt in canned chickpeas and commercial hummus, not purines.
No, chickpeas are not bad for gout. Cooked chickpeas are among the lowest-purine protein foods measured, at about 10 mg per 100 g, and large studies have found that legumes don’t raise gout risk the way meat and seafood do.
If you’ve seen chickpeas listed as “moderate” on older gout charts, that’s out of date. The newer USDA analyses put cooked and canned chickpeas firmly in the low band.
What Is the Purine Content of Chickpeas?
Our charts use four bands: low (under 50 mg per 100 g), moderate (50–100), high (100–200) and very high (over 200). The USDA and ODS-NIH purine database has several chickpea entries, and how the chickpea was prepared makes a big difference:
| Chickpeas | Purines per 100 g | Per serving | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked from dry (USDA, 2024) | ~10 mg | ~8 mg per ½ cup (82 g); ~16 mg per cup | Low |
| Canned, drained and rinsed (USDA, 2024) | ~22 mg | ~33 mg per cup (152 g) | Low |
| Unspecified (Japanese analysis, 2020) | ~26 mg | — | Low |
| Dried, raw (US analysis, 1976) | ~56 mg | — | Moderate |
For comparison, raw chicken breast measures about 160 mg per 100 g, lean ground beef about 190, and farmed salmon about 250. Even the dried chickpea figure is a fraction of those.
Why Cooked Chickpeas Measure So Low
Two things happen when a dried chickpea becomes a cooked one.
It absorbs water. USDA data show dried chickpeas are about 8% water and cooked chickpeas about 60%. That alone means 100 g of cooked chickpeas contains less than half as much actual chickpea as 100 g of dried ones, which on its own would bring 56 mg down to roughly 25.
Some purines move into the cooking water. Purines dissolve in water, and the measured value for cooked chickpeas (about 10 mg) is lower than water alone explains. The dried and cooked figures come from different analyses decades apart, so treat this as a rough comparison, but it matches the pattern across legumes: canned beans that have been drained and rinsed measure about 20 to 25 mg per 100 g, far below their dried values.
The practical upshot: whether you cook chickpeas from scratch or open a can, you’re eating a low-purine food.
Do Chickpeas Raise Gout Risk?
The research on legumes is reassuring:
- Choi et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2004. In 47,150 men followed for 12 years, purine-rich vegetables, a group that included peas, beans and lentils, were not linked to developing gout. Meat and seafood were.
- Teng et al., Arthritis & Rheumatology, 2015. In the Singapore Chinese Health Study (51,114 adults analyzed, 2,167 of whom developed gout), people who ate the most non-soy legumes had a 17% lower risk of gout than those who ate the least, and people who ate the most soy foods a 14% lower risk. More protein from poultry and from fish and shellfish was linked to a higher risk.
- Zhang et al., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2012. In 633 people with gout, purines from animal foods were tied to a much bigger jump in flare risk than purines from plant foods.
These are observational studies, so they show associations rather than proof. But the direction is consistent, and with chickpeas’ low measured purine content, there’s no reason to avoid them. For the broader evidence, see are beans bad for gout and our look at lentils and plant vs. animal purines.
What Else Do Chickpeas Offer?
Per cup, from USDA FoodData Central:
| Per cup | Cooked from dry (164 g) | Canned, drained and rinsed (152 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 269 | 210 |
| Protein | 14.5 g | 10.7 g |
| Fiber | 12.5 g | 9.6 g |
| Fat | 4.2 g | 3.8 g |
| Folate | 282 mcg | 62 mcg |
| Sodium | 11 mg | 322 mg |
Chickpeas give you a lot of fiber and a fair amount of protein for the purines. Chickpeas cooked from dry without salt are almost sodium-free, while canned ones carry a few hundred milligrams per cup even after rinsing. Low-sodium or no-salt-added cans help.
Is Hummus Good for Gout?
Hummus is a good choice. It hasn’t been analyzed for purines, but its ingredients tell you what to expect:
- Chickpeas, about 10 to 22 mg per 100 g cooked or canned
- Tahini, which is ground sesame seeds (sesame measured about 35 mg per 100 g)
- Olive oil, lemon, garlic and water, essentially purine-free
Hummus is mostly chickpeas, with a smaller share of tahini, so by our estimate a typical 2-tablespoon (30 g) serving works out to roughly 5 mg of purines. If it were all tahini, it would still be only about 10 mg. Even a generous quarter cup is a small amount.
What to watch instead:
- Sodium. USDA lists commercial hummus at about 425 mg of sodium per 100 g, or about 128 mg per 2 tablespoons. Homemade hummus lets you control it.
- Calories. Commercial hummus has about 71 calories and 5 g of fat per 2 tablespoons, mostly from tahini and oil. That’s fine, but it adds up when the tub is open. Weight matters for gout: the American College of Rheumatology’s guideline conditionally recommends weight loss for people with gout who are overweight.
- What you dip. Carrots, cucumber, peppers and celery keep it light. Pita and chips are fine in moderation.
Roasted Chickpeas, Chickpea Flour and Other Forms
- Roasted chickpea snacks: roasting drives water back out, so per 100 g they’re closer to the dried figure (about 56 mg). A 30 g handful still carries under 20 mg. Check flavored versions for sugar and salt.
- Chickpea flour (besan, gram flour): it hasn’t been analyzed, but it’s ground dried chickpeas, so expect something close to the dried figure per 100 g of flour. A batter or flatbread uses far less than 100 g per serving.
- Falafel: the chickpeas are fine. It’s deep-fried, so treat it as an occasional meal rather than a daily one.
- Chana masala and chickpea curries: a good way to replace some meat. Pair chickpeas with cauliflower, spinach or potatoes for a low-purine curry.
How to Eat Chickpeas With Gout
- Swap half the meat. In a chicken curry, stew or grain bowl, replace half the chicken with chickpeas. You lose most of the purines from that half and gain fiber.
- Make them a salad base. Chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, parsley, lemon and olive oil make a filling lunch with almost no purines.
- Pair with other proteins. Chickpeas have less protein per gram than meat. Combine them with eggs, yogurt or tofu to round out a meal.
- Ease in if beans upset your stomach. Start with smaller portions and build up.
Better Chickpea Swaps
| Instead of | Try | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken curry (6 oz chicken) | Half chicken, half chickpeas | Roughly halves the purines, adds fiber |
| Salted canned chickpeas | No-salt-added cans or home-cooked | Far less sodium |
| Chips with dip | Vegetables with hummus | More fiber, less salt |
| A second serving of meat | A cup of chickpeas | ~16 mg instead of ~180 mg of purines |
The Bottom Line
Chickpeas are one of the best legumes for gout. Cooked, they measure about 10 mg of purines per 100 g; canned and rinsed, about 22. Large studies link legumes to no increase in gout risk, and in one large Asian cohort, to a lower risk. Hummus is a gout-friendly snack, with salt and calories the only real things to watch. Use chickpeas to replace some of the meat in your meals, and choose no-salt-added cans when you can.
Sources
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods.
- Teng GG, et al. Food sources of protein and risk of incident gout in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 2015.
- Choi HK, et al. Purine-rich foods, dairy and protein intake, and the risk of gout in men. New England Journal of Medicine, 2004.
- Zhang Y, et al. Purine-rich foods intake and recurrent gout attacks. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2012.
- FitzGerald JD, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Care & Research, 2020.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your rheumatologist or healthcare provider about your specific situation.
Track Your Personal Response
Everyone responds differently to foods. Urica helps you track how specific foods affect YOUR flare patterns by analyzing purines, fructose, and glycemic load together — not just purines alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purine content of chickpeas?
Low. A 2024 USDA analysis measured cooked chickpeas at about 10 mg of purines per 100 g, and canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, at about 22 mg. Dried chickpeas measured about 56 mg per 100 g in an older analysis, before soaking and cooking. A full cup of cooked chickpeas carries roughly 16 mg, less than a tenth of what a 4-ounce raw chicken breast carries.
Is hummus OK for gout?
Yes. Hummus hasn't been analyzed for purines, but its main ingredients are low: canned chickpeas measure about 22 mg per 100 g and sesame seeds, which tahini is made from, about 35. By our estimate, that puts a 2-tablespoon serving at roughly 5 mg, and under about 10 mg even on generous assumptions. Portion size matters more for calories and salt: USDA lists commercial hummus at about 425 mg of sodium per 100 g.
Are chickpeas better than meat for gout?
For purines, by a wide margin. A cup of cooked chickpeas has about 16 mg of purines and 14.5 g of protein; 4 ounces of raw chicken breast has about 180 mg of purines. In a Singapore study of more than 51,000 adults, the highest intake of non-soy legumes was linked to a 17% lower risk of gout, while more poultry and fish protein was linked to a higher risk.
Are roasted chickpeas or chickpea flour OK for gout?
Yes, in normal portions. Both are closer to dried chickpeas, which measured about 56 mg of purines per 100 g, at the low end of the moderate band and far below meat. A 30 g handful of roasted chickpeas would carry under 20 mg. For flavored snacks, the added salt and sugar matter more than the purines, so check the label.