Is Mackerel Bad for Gout? Purines vs. Omega-3s

TL;DR

• Fresh Atlantic mackerel has about 200 mg of purines per 100 g, right at the top of the high band. A 3-ounce (85 g) portion carries roughly 170 mg. Canned mackerel measured higher, about 245 mg.
• It’s also one of the richest sources of omega-3 fats, and eating omega-3-rich fish has been linked to fewer gout flares, not more.
• Between flares, a small portion now and then can fit. During a flare, or on a day you’ve already eaten other high-purine foods, leave it out.

Mackerel is one of the higher-purine fish you can buy, so it isn’t an everyday food if you have gout. It isn’t in the “never” category either: few foods deliver more omega-3 fat, and between flares a small portion can fit for many people.

The useful questions are how much, how often, and which mackerel. Those three choices change the picture more than the fish itself.

How Many Purines Are in Mackerel?

Here are the values from our purine content in seafood chart, per 100 g and per 3-ounce (85 g) portion:

Mackerel	Purines per 100 g	Per 3 oz (85 g)	Band
Canned mackerel	245 mg	~208 mg	Very high
Atlantic mackerel, fresh	200 mg	~170 mg	High
King mackerel*	195 mg	~166 mg	High
Spanish mackerel	160 mg	~136 mg	High

Fresh, canned and Spanish mackerel values come from the USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods (2025 release), which draws on US, Japanese and Chinese lab analyses. *King mackerel isn’t in that database; the figure is the older value our chart keeps.

Our charts use four bands: low (under 50 mg per 100 g), moderate (50–100), high (100–200) and very high (over 200). Published purine figures vary by species, lab and method, so read them as a ranking rather than an exact count.

Fresh Atlantic mackerel, the kind most often sold whole or as fillets, sits right at the top of the high band: the two analyses in the database average 199 mg, a hair under the 200 mg line. Sardines (about 280 mg) and anchovies (about 355 mg) are higher. Canned mackerel moves the other way from what you might expect: at about 245 mg it’s in the very high band.

How Does Mackerel Compare With Other Fish?

Fish	Purines per 100 g	Omega-3 per 100 g	Band
Anchovies	355 mg	1.5 g	Very high
Sardines	280 mg	1.5 g	Very high
Salmon, farmed	250 mg	2.3 g	Very high
Atlantic mackerel	200 mg	2.7 g	High
Tuna, fresh	185 mg	1.3 g (bluefin)	High
Trout	180 mg	0.9 g	High
Herring*	140 mg	1.7 g	High
Cod	105 mg	0.2 g	High
Sole	80 mg	0.1 g	Moderate

Published analyses vary: sardines range from about 210 to 345 mg per 100 g, and salmon from about 120 to 260 mg, with US farmed and wild salmon at the top of that range. *Herring rests on a single recent analysis. Older tables list it much higher (190 to 290 mg), so treat it with the same caution as mackerel.

Two things stand out. Mackerel has more omega-3 per 100 g than any other fish on the list. USDA FoodData Central lists about 2.3 g of EPA plus DHA, the two long-chain omega-3s, in 100 g of raw Atlantic mackerel. And farmed salmon comes close on omega-3, but it isn’t the lower-purine swap it’s often made out to be: USDA’s 2024 analyses put farmed Atlantic salmon at about 250 mg per 100 g, a little above mackerel (see is salmon bad for gout).

Do the Omega-3s in Mackerel Cancel Out the Purines?

Partly, perhaps, but not for large portions. Three findings are worth holding together:

• Omega-3-rich fish was linked to fewer flares. In a 2019 Boston University study of 724 people with gout, eating two or more servings of omega-3-rich fish in the previous 48 hours was linked to about 26% lower odds of a flare (odds ratio 0.74), even after accounting for total purine intake. Omega-3 supplements that people took on their own showed no such link.
• Big purine days were linked to more flares. A 2012 study that followed 633 people with gout online for a year found that those in the highest fifth of purine intake over two days had nearly five times the odds of a recurrent attack compared with the lowest fifth. Purines from animal foods carried more risk than purines from plants.
• Guidelines still say limit purines. The American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 gout guideline conditionally recommends limiting purine intake for people with gout “regardless of disease activity.”

Put together, a modest serving of oily fish looks like a reasonable trade. A heaping plate of mackerel, or mackerel on top of other high-purine foods, is still a big purine day.

Which Mackerel Is Best if You Have Gout?

• Atlantic or Pacific chub mackerel: the most omega-3, and both are on the FDA’s “Best Choices” list for mercury. The catch is a purine count right at the top of the high band (about 200 mg), so keep portions small.
• King mackerel: about the same in purines (195 mg) but only about 0.4 g of omega-3 per 100 g, so you give up most of the benefit. The FDA also lists it among the fish with the highest mercury levels and advises people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children, to avoid it. It’s the weakest trade of the group.
• Spanish mackerel: the lowest of the group on purines (about 160 mg), rated a “Good Choice” by the FDA.
• Canned mackerel: higher than fresh, about 245 mg per 100 g in the one analysis available, because canning concentrates the fish. Keep the portion small, drain the liquid and check the sodium on the label.
• Smoked, salted or dried mackerel: drying concentrates everything, purines included. Salted mackerel is also extremely salty. USDA FoodData Central lists about 4,450 mg of sodium per 100 g, nearly double the 2,300 mg daily limit adults are advised to stay under. Treat it as a flavoring, not a main course.

How Much Mackerel Is Reasonable?

There’s no official gram limit, so this is a practical starting point rather than a rule:

• Portion: about 3 ounces (85 g), roughly the size of a deck of cards. That’s around 170 mg of purines for fresh mackerel, or about 210 mg for canned.
• Frequency: about once a week between flares, then adjust based on how you do.
• One high-purine food that day: make mackerel the only one. Skip the shrimp starter, the meat gravy and the second protein.
• Build the rest of the plate low: vegetables, potatoes, rice or whole grains, and low-fat dairy all sit in the low purine band.
• Drink water with it, not beer. Our beer and gout guide explains why beer is the worst pairing.

If you track meals, an app like Urica can estimate the purines in a mackerel plate from a photo and show, over time, whether those meals line up with your flares.

Mackerel During a Flare vs. Between Flares

During a flare, leave mackerel off the menu along with other high-purine foods, and skip alcohol. The priority is treatment: the ACR guideline strongly recommends colchicine, NSAIDs or glucocorticoids as first-line options, so start the plan your doctor gave you early. Drink plenty of water unless you’ve been told to limit fluids. For protein, lean on eggs, low-fat dairy or tofu, which are all low in purines. Our guide on how to stop a gout flare fast covers the rest.

Between flares, small and occasional is the rule. Even when gout is well controlled, the ACR guideline still suggests limiting purines, so a weekly 3-ounce portion is a better habit than an occasional mackerel feast.

How to Cook Mackerel for Gout

• Poaching or simmering moves some purines out of the fish, because purines dissolve in water. Throw that liquid away rather than turning it into a sauce or soup.
• Grilling, baking and pan-frying don’t add purines, but they don’t remove any either. They’re fine for a small portion.
• Skip sweet glazes. Teriyaki, honey-soy and sweet chili glazes add sugar, and the ACR guideline also advises limiting high-fructose corn syrup, which turns up in some bottled sauces.
• Consider leaving the skin when you’re being cautious. One Chinese lab study included in the USDA purine database measured mackerel skin far higher in purines than typical values for the flesh. It’s a single small analysis, but setting the skin aside is an easy hedge after a recent flare.
• Go easy on smoked and salted mackerel, for both the concentrated purines and the sodium.

Better Swaps for Mackerel

If you want	Try	Purines per 100 g	Why it works
Canned fish on toast	Canned salmon	110 mg	Same convenience, less than half the purines of canned mackerel
A mild white fish	Cod or sole	105 / 80 mg	About half of mackerel’s purines, easy to portion
A plant omega-3 boost	Walnuts, chia or flax	20–60 mg	Low to moderate purines; the omega-3 is ALA, not EPA or DHA

If you’ve been eating sardines for the same omega-3 reasons, mackerel is actually a step down in purines. See are sardines bad for gout for that comparison.

The Bottom Line

Mackerel is a high-purine fish, right at the top of that band, so it isn’t a staple for someone with gout. It’s also one of the richest omega-3 foods, and research links omega-3-rich fish with fewer flares rather than more. The sensible middle ground: choose Atlantic or chub mackerel over king, keep portions around 3 ounces, eat it occasionally between flares with no other high-purine foods that day, and skip it entirely during a flare. Don’t assume canned mackerel or farmed salmon is the lighter option: both measured higher in purines than fresh mackerel. If you want omega-3s more often, smaller portions, canned salmon (about 110 mg per 100 g) or plant sources are the lower-purine routes.

Sources

• FitzGerald JD, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Care & Research, 2020.
• Zhang M, et al. Effect of Dietary and Supplemental Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Risk of Recurrent Gout Flares. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 2019.
• Zhang Y, et al. Purine-rich foods intake and recurrent gout attacks. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2012.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Advice about Eating Fish.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service. USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your rheumatologist or healthcare provider about your specific situation.