High Purine Foods List: What to Limit and What to Track
Complete list of high purine foods with mg per 100g values. Learn which high-purine foods to limit and why animal vs. plant purines matter differently.
When you receive a gout diagnosis, one of the first things you hear is to avoid high purine foods. That advice is not wrong, but it is incomplete. Purines from food account for only about one third of the uric acid your body produces. The rest comes from normal internal cell turnover. And the type of purine, the source it comes from, and what else you eat alongside it all influence how your body handles it.
This reference guide, part of our purine database, lists the foods with the highest purine content, organized by category, and provides context about which ones the research most strongly links to gout flares.
What Counts as “High Purine”
Across our purine database, foods with more than 200mg of purines per 100g are Very High and foods from 100 to 200mg per 100g are High (Moderate is 50 to under 100mg, Low is under 50mg). Values are the median of published analyses in the USDA & ODS-NIH Purine Database (2025), for raw food unless stated; foods marked † aren’t in that database and come from older tables. For context, a typical serving of meat is 85 to 170g (3 to 6 ounces), so the per-serving purine load depends on both concentration and portion size.
Very High Purine Foods (Over 200mg per 100g)
These are the most concentrated purine sources in the diet. Research links high purine intake, especially from animal foods, to higher uric acid and more gout flares.
Organ Meats
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Typical Serving | Estimated Purines per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetbreads (thymus) † | 1,000+ | 100g | 1,000+ mg |
| Liver (pork) | 285 | 100g | 285 mg |
| Liver (chicken) | 245 | 100g | 245 mg |
| Liver (beef) | 210 | 100g | 210 mg |
Livers remain among the most purine-dense meats, though the USDA database puts them about two to three times lower than older charts (beef liver 210, not 550). Kidney, heart, and brain now measure 160 to 195, so they appear under High below. Sweetbreads aren’t in the USDA database; older tables list them above 1,000mg per 100g, which would be more than many people eat from all other foods in a day.
Meats
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Typical Serving | Estimated Purines per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork loin | 235 | 115g (4 oz) | 270 mg |
| Pork chop | 235 | 140g (5 oz) | 330 mg |
| Deli turkey | 235 | 56g (2 oz) | 130 mg |
| Salami | 215 (120–245) | 30g (1 oz) | 65 mg |
These are new to this list. USDA’s 2024 analyses of US retail pork loin and chops, deli turkey, and dry salami came in about twice as high as older charts listed (115 to 120 for pork loin and chops, about 100 for deli turkey and salami). Processing does not lower purines.
High Purine Seafood
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Typical Serving | Estimated Purines per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprats † | 400 | 100g | 400 mg |
| Sardines (canned) | 400 | 85g (1 tin) | 340 mg |
| Anchovies (canned) | 320 | 45g (1 tin) | 145 mg |
| Mussels † | 310 | 150g | 465 mg |
| Salmon | 250 (120–260) | 115g (4 oz) | 290 mg |
| Catfish | 205 | 115g (4 oz) | 235 mg |
These seafood items rival or exceed liver. A single serving of mussels, sardines, or salmon can deliver a substantial purine load. Fresh anchovies measure about 355 and fresh sardines about 280 (published analyses range from about 210 to 345). Salmon and catfish are new here: USDA’s 2024 analyses of US farmed Atlantic salmon (250), wild sockeye (260), and catfish (205) came in far above the 85 to 150 older charts gave. Herring, Atlantic mackerel, and scallops have moved out of this group; see the notes under High below.
Yeast Products
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Typical Serving | Estimated Purines per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeast extract (Marmite/Vegemite) † | 1,810 | 5g (1 tsp) | 90 mg |
| Nutritional yeast | Very high (not measured) | 15g (2 tbsp) | About 125 mg if similar to dried yeast |
| Brewer’s yeast | Very high (not measured) | 15g | About 125 mg if similar to dried yeast |
Yeast products have extremely high purine concentrations per 100g, but serving sizes are typically very small. The per-serving purine load is moderate. Nutritional and brewer’s yeast aren’t in the USDA database; the closest entry, dried yeast, measures about 850mg per 100g, so treat both as very high. Beer is relevant here because it contains brewers yeast and is high in guanosine, a specific purine that is efficiently converted to uric acid.
High Purine Foods (100 to 200mg per 100g)
These foods are significant purine sources but at lower concentrations than the foods listed above.
Organ Meats
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney (beef) | 195 | High |
| Kidney (pork) | 195 | High |
| Heart (beef) | 180 | High |
| Brain (beef) | 160 | High |
Each of these rests on one or two analyses, and older tables list them higher (about 200 to 450mg per 100g), so caution still applies: treat them like liver. The same goes for beef tongue, where one analysis found about 90mg (older tables: 160).
Meat and Poultry
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Beef ground (lean, 93/7) | 190 | High |
| Pork tenderloin | 180 (120–245) | High |
| Goose † | 165 | High |
| Chicken breast | 160 (130–290) | High |
| Ham (cured/deli) | 160 (70–250) | High |
| Venison † | 160 | High |
| Turkey leg (dark meat) † | 150 | High |
| Pheasant † | 150 | High |
| Veal (cooked) | 145 | High |
| Chicken thigh | 140 | High |
| Chicken wing | 140 | High |
| Quail † | 140 | High |
| Duck † | 138 | High |
| Chicken drumstick | 135 | High |
| Bison † | 135 | High |
| Lamb leg | 130 | High |
| Rabbit † | 130 | High |
| Beef ribeye | 125 (75–175) | High |
| Goat † | 120 | High |
| Turkey breast † | 120 | High |
| Hot dog | 115 (50–170) | High |
| Beef sirloin | 110 | High |
| Bacon (raw) | 100 (60–140) | High |
Chicken breast, lean ground beef, and deli ham measure well above older charts, and hot dogs and bacon have moved up into this range. Bacon is listed raw; frying removes water and fat, so cooked strips measure about 430 per 100g, though the purines per slice don’t change. Two cuts have moved down: pork shoulder (95) now sits just under 100, and beef brisket measured about 80 in a single analysis of a fatty cut (older tables: 115), so treat brisket like other beef.
Seafood
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Mackerel (Atlantic) | 200 | High |
| Tuna (fresh) | 185 | High |
| Tilapia | 185 | High |
| Shrimp | 180 | High |
| Trout | 180 | High |
| Squid | 145 | High |
| Herring | 140 | High |
| Tuna (canned) | 140 (115–210) | High |
| Swordfish | 130 | High |
| Haddock † | 130 | High |
| Halibut † | 125 | High |
| Crab | 120 | High |
| Oysters | 120 | High |
| Flounder | 115 | High |
| Snapper † | 115 | High |
| Perch † | 115 | High |
| Salmon (canned) | 110 (90–135) | High |
| Cod | 105 | High |
| Bass (sea) | 105 | High |
| Lobster | 100 | High |
Atlantic mackerel sits right on the High/Very High line. Herring’s value comes from a single analysis; older tables list it at about 290, so keep treating it like sardines and mackerel. Scallops are a similar case: one analysis found about 75, far below the 220 older tables list, so they stay on this list as a shellfish to limit until there is more data. Tilapia, flounder, and cod have moved up from the moderate range.
Plant Foods
| Food | Purine (mg/100g) | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Spinach | 110 (50–170) | High |
| Wheat germ † | 110 | High |
Spinach now measures higher than older charts said (baby spinach about 172, mature leaves about 51), but as the next section explains, purine-rich vegetables haven’t been linked to gout.
Animal vs. Plant Purines: A Critical Distinction
This is one of the most important and underappreciated facts in gout nutrition: not all purines are equal. The source matters enormously.
Animal purines (from meat, organ meats, and seafood) are consistently associated with increased gout risk in epidemiological studies. The 2004 Choi et al. study found a 41% increase in gout risk for those in the highest quintile of meat consumption and a 51% increase for the highest quintile of seafood consumption.
Plant purines (from vegetables, legumes, and grains) show a much weaker association with gout, if any. The same study found no link between eating purine-rich vegetables and developing gout. A 2012 study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, which followed 633 people with gout, found that plant purines were only weakly linked to flares: in the highest fifth of intake, about 1.4 times the odds of a flare, compared with about 2.4 times for purines from animal sources.
Several factors may explain this difference:
| Factor | Animal Purines | Plant Purines |
|---|---|---|
| Purine type | Higher in hypoxanthine | Higher in adenine |
| Absorption rate | Higher bioavailability | Lower bioavailability |
| Food matrix | Often with saturated fat | Often with fiber, antioxidants |
| Net effect on uric acid | Increases serum levels | No measurable increase |
| Association with gout flares | Strong | Weak |
This means vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, and peas are fine to eat. In the USDA database, only spinach reaches the high range; mushrooms, asparagus, and peas now measure low.
The Hidden High Purine Sources
Some high-purine sources are not obvious:
| Food | Why It Is Surprising | Purine Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | Contains guanosine from yeast, plus alcohol impairs excretion | High |
| Gravy | Concentrated meat drippings extract purines | Moderate |
| Meat broth/stock | Purines dissolve in cooking liquid | Moderate |
| Bouillon cubes | Concentrated meat extract | Moderate |
| Some supplements | Brewer’s yeast, spirulina | Variable |
| Deli meats | Processing does not lower purines; deli turkey and salami measure over 200mg per 100g | High |
Beyond Purines: What Else to Track
Focusing only on high purine foods misses significant pieces of the gout puzzle. As we explain in dietary purines are only 30 percent of the picture, excretion matters just as much:
Fructose is the only sugar that both increases uric acid production and impairs kidney excretion. A regular soda with zero purines may have a larger impact on uric acid than a moderate serving of chicken.
Alcohol impairs uric acid excretion regardless of purine content. Beer is a double hit because it combines alcohol with guanosine purines, but all alcohol affects excretion through lactate competition in the kidneys.
Dehydration concentrates uric acid in the blood and reduces kidney clearance. Adequate water intake is one of the simplest and most effective factors you can control.
Insulin resistance impairs the kidneys’ ability to excrete uric acid through effects on the URAT1 transporter. High glycemic foods that spike insulin may affect uric acid levels through this mechanism.
A Smarter Approach to Tracking
Rather than memorizing purine values and trying to stay under an arbitrary daily budget, tracking what you eat alongside your symptoms over time reveals patterns that are specific to your body. For a side-by-side comparison of all foods, see our complete purine food chart. Some people can eat moderate amounts of high-purine foods without issue, while others find that non-purine triggers like fructose or dehydration are their primary problem.
Urica helps with this by tracking not just purine content but also fructose, hydration, and other metabolic factors alongside flare data. Over time, AI-powered correlation analysis identifies which factors are most strongly associated with your personal flare patterns, giving you data-driven insights rather than generic food lists.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or rheumatologist about managing gout, especially regarding medication and treatment plans.
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 foods are highest in purines?
The most concentrated sources are yeast extracts like Marmite (about 1,810mg per 100g in older tables) and sweetbreads (1,000+ in older tables), followed by small oily fish and some shellfish (sprats at 400mg, canned sardines at 400mg, anchovies at 355mg, mussels at 310mg) and livers (210 to 285mg). Newer USDA analyses also put some everyday US foods in the very high range: salmon (about 250mg), pork loin and deli turkey (about 235mg), and salami (about 215mg). Portion size decides how much of this you actually eat: a teaspoon of yeast extract carries far less than a serving of salmon.
Do high purine vegetables cause gout flares?
Not according to the research so far. The landmark 2004 Choi et al. study in the New England Journal of Medicine, which followed 47,150 men for 12 years, found no association between eating purine-rich vegetables and developing gout. A 2012 study of people who already had gout found plant purines only weakly linked to flares compared with animal purines. Spinach (about 110mg per 100g) is the one common vegetable in the high range; mushrooms and asparagus now measure low (35 to 45mg). The type of purine and the food matrix differ from animal sources in ways that affect absorption and metabolism.
How much high purine food can I eat per day?
There is no universally agreed-upon safe amount. Individual tolerance varies based on kidney function, hydration, medication, and metabolic factors. Rather than setting a strict daily limit, tracking your intake alongside symptoms over time is more practical. Many gout sufferers find that occasional moderate portions of high-purine foods are tolerable, while concentrated sources like organ meats, small oily fish, and certain shellfish are best limited.