High Purine Foods List: Purine Content of Foods Chart
Highest in purines: yeast extract, organ meats, anchovies, sardines, mussels, and now salmon and pork loin in USDA data. Full chart of foods in mg per 100 g.
Purine calculator
Add the foods in a meal or a day and how much you ate. Values are mg of purines per 100 g from the USDA/NIH purine database (2025).
Add foods to see the purine total.
Per 100 g: Low < 50 mg · Moderate 50–100 · High 100–200 · Very high > 200
Educational only. Purine content varies with the cut, cooking and portion, and food is only one part of uric acid. Talk to your doctor about your targets.
TL;DR
- The highest-purine foods (over 200 mg per 100 g) are yeast extract, organ meats such as liver, small oily fish like anchovies, sardines and sprats, mussels and, in USDA’s newest analyses, salmon, pork loin, deli turkey and salami.
- Most other meat, poultry and fish are high (100 to 200 mg). Vegetables, dairy, eggs, grains, nuts and fruit are mostly low (under 50 mg).
- Purines from meat and seafood are more strongly linked to gout than plant purines, and alcohol, sugary drinks and how well your kidneys clear uric acid matter too.
The highest-purine foods are yeast extract, organ meats like liver, small fish eaten whole such as anchovies, sardines and sprats, and mussels, all above 200 mg of purines per 100 g. Newer USDA analyses add some everyday foods to that list: salmon, pork loin and chops, deli turkey and salami.
Below is a quick high purine foods list, followed by the full purine chart for every food group. This page is part of our purine database. For the foods you can eat freely, see the low purine foods list.
High Purine Foods List (Over 200 mg per 100 g)
Sorted from highest to lowest. Values are per 100 g, raw unless stated.
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Food group |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast extract (Marmite, Vegemite) † | 1,810 | Spreads |
| Sweetbreads (thymus) † | 1,000+ | Organ meat |
| Sardines, canned | 400 | Seafood |
| Sprats † | 400 | Seafood |
| Anchovies | 355 | Seafood |
| Shiitake mushrooms, dried | 310 | Vegetable |
| Mussels † | 310 | Seafood |
| Pork liver | 285 | Organ meat |
| Sardines, fresh | 280 | Seafood |
| Salmon | 250 | Seafood |
| Mackerel, canned | 245 | Seafood |
| Chicken liver | 245 | Organ meat |
| Pork loin and pork chops | 235 | Meat |
| Deli turkey | 235 | Processed meat |
| Salami | 215 | Processed meat |
| Beef liver | 210 | Organ meat |
| Catfish | 205 | Seafood |
| Nutritional and brewer’s yeast | Very high (not measured) | Supplements |
Nutritional and brewer’s yeast haven’t been measured, but the closest database entry, dried yeast, comes in at about 850 mg per 100 g.
Just under the line (180 to 200 mg): Atlantic mackerel (200), ground chicken (195), beef and pork kidney (195), lean ground beef (190), soy protein concentrate (190), ground pork (185), fresh tuna and tilapia (185), and pork tenderloin, beef heart, shrimp and trout (180).
Two things change how much a high number matters. The first is portion: yeast extract is 1,810 mg per 100 g, but a 5 g teaspoon carries about 90 mg, while a 4-ounce (113 g) salmon fillet carries about 280. The second is the source: purines from meat and seafood are more strongly linked to gout flares than purines from plants (more on that below).
Purine Content of Foods: Full Chart by Food Group
How to Read This Purine Chart
Purine content is listed in milligrams per 100 grams of food. Foods fall into four bands:
- Very high: over 200 mg per 100 g
- High: 100 to 200 mg per 100 g
- Moderate: 50 to under 100 mg per 100 g
- Low: under 50 mg per 100 g
How we measure. Our values come from the USDA & ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods (Release 2, March 2025). Each number is the median of the published analyses for that food, rounded to the nearest 5, and is for the raw food unless the table says otherwise (cooked, canned, dried). Analyses vary with the lab method and with the sample itself (species, cut, fat content, and where it was grown or caught), so the same food can measure quite differently from one study to the next. Where published values differ widely, the range is shown in brackets. Foods marked † are not in that database; their values come from older published tables and are less certain. “<3” means under about 3 mg per 100 g, which is effectively none. A few values rest on only one or two analyses and came in well below older tables; the notes flag those, and caution still applies.
Organ Meats
Organ meats are among the highest-purine meats and remain foods to limit, though the USDA database puts them up to two to three times lower than older charts did: livers measure about 210 to 285 mg per 100 g, and kidney, heart and brain 160 to 195 mg.
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetbreads (thymus) † | 1,000+ | Very high |
| Liver (pork) | 285 | Very high |
| Liver (chicken) | 245 | Very high |
| Liver (beef) | 210 | Very high |
| Kidney (beef) | 195 | High |
| Kidney (pork) | 195 | High |
| Heart (beef) | 180 | High |
| Brain (beef) | 160 | High |
| Tongue (beef) | 90 | Moderate |
Kidney, heart, brain and tongue each rest on one or two analyses, and older tables list them higher (about 160 to 450 mg per 100 g). Caution still applies: treat them like liver.
Red Meat
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Pork loin | 235 | Very high |
| Pork chop | 235 | Very high |
| Beef, ground (lean, 93/7) | 190 | High |
| Pork, ground | 185 | High |
| Pork tenderloin | 180 (120–245) | High |
| Beef, ground (regular, 80/20) | 160 | High |
| Venison † | 160 | High |
| Veal (cooked) | 145 | High |
| Bison † | 135 | High |
| Lamb leg | 130 | High |
| Lamb chop | 130 | High |
| Rabbit † | 130 | High |
| Beef ribeye | 125 (75–175) | High |
| Goat † | 120 | High |
| Beef chuck roast | 115 (75–155) | High |
| Beef sirloin | 110 | High |
| Beef tenderloin | 100 | High |
| Beef flank steak | 100 | High |
| Pork shoulder | 95 | Moderate |
| Beef brisket | 80 | Moderate |
Pork loin, pork chops and lean ground beef come from USDA’s 2024 analyses of US retail meat, which measured far higher than older charts (pork loin and chops were listed at 115 to 120). Brisket’s value is a single Japanese sample of a fatty cut; older tables list it at about 115, so treat it like other beef. Veal has only been analyzed cooked. For cut-by-cut detail, see our purine content in meat guide.
Processed Meats
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Deli turkey | 235 | Very high |
| Salami | 215 (120–245) | Very high |
| Ham (cured or deli) | 160 (70–250) | High |
| Pork sausage (fresh, raw) | 160 | High |
| Prosciutto | 140 | High |
| Hot dog | 115 (50–170) | High |
| Bacon (raw) | 100 (60–140) | High |
| Pepperoni | Likely high to very high (not measured) | High to very high |
Processing doesn’t lower purines: USDA’s deli turkey and ready-to-eat ham samples measured higher than many fresh cuts. Bacon is listed raw: frying drives off water and fat, so cooked strips measure about 430 per 100 g, although the purines per slice stay the same. Pepperoni hasn’t been measured; the closest product, dry salami, is about 215.
Poultry
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken, ground | 195 | High |
| Goose † | 165 | High |
| Chicken breast | 160 (130–290) | High |
| Turkey leg (dark meat) † | 150 | High |
| Pheasant † | 150 | High |
| Chicken thigh | 140 | High |
| Chicken wing | 140 | High |
| Quail † | 140 | High |
| Duck † | 138 | High |
| Chicken drumstick | 135 | High |
| Turkey breast † | 120 | High |
| Turkey, ground | 95 | Moderate |
Chicken breast varies more than most meats: older US and Japanese analyses found about 130 to 175, while USDA’s 2024 US sample measured 289. Either way, it is no longer one of the lower-purine meats. Cooked (roasted or grilled) breast measures about 185 per 100 g because cooking drives off water.
Fish and Seafood
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Sardines (canned) | 400 | Very high |
| Sprats † | 400 | Very high |
| Anchovies | 355 | Very high |
| Mussels † | 310 | Very high |
| Sardines (fresh) | 280 (210–345) | Very high |
| Salmon | 250 (120–260) | Very high |
| Mackerel (canned) | 245 | Very high |
| Catfish | 205 | Very high |
| Mackerel (Atlantic) | 200 | High |
| Tuna (fresh) | 185 | High |
| Tilapia | 185 | High |
| Shrimp | 180 | High |
| Trout | 180 | High |
| Squid (calamari) | 145 | High |
| Herring | 140 | High |
| Tuna (canned) | 140 (115–210) | High |
| Clams | 135 | High |
| Swordfish | 130 | High |
| Haddock † | 130 | High |
| Halibut † | 125 | High |
| Crab | 120 | High |
| Oysters | 120 | High |
| Flounder | 115 | High |
| Salmon (canned) | 110 (90–135) | High |
| Mahi-mahi † | 110 | High |
| Cod | 105 | High |
| Sea bass | 105 | High |
| Lobster | 100 | High |
| Sole † | 80 | Moderate |
| Pollock † | 80 | Moderate |
| Scallops | 75 | Moderate |
| Fish sticks † | 60 | Moderate |
| Imitation crab † | 25 | Low |
Salmon and catfish now rank very high: USDA’s 2024 analyses of US farmed Atlantic salmon (250), wild sockeye (260) and farmed catfish (205) came in far above the 85 to 150 that older charts listed. Herring’s value comes from a single analysis; older tables list it at about 290, so keep treating it like sardines. Scallops: one analysis found about 75, far below the 220 older tables list, so treat them as a high-purine shellfish until there is more data. Sole and pollock aren’t in the USDA database. For the lowest-purine fish ranked in order, see our low purine fish list.
Vegetables
Vegetable purines are reassuring. In a 12-year study of 47,150 men, eating purine-rich vegetables was not linked to a higher risk of developing gout, and a 2012 study of people who already had gout found plant purines only weakly linked to flares compared with animal purines.
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Shiitake mushrooms (dried) | 310 | Very high |
| Spinach | 110 (50–170) | High |
| Broccoli | 70 | Moderate |
| Eggplant | 50 | Moderate |
| Mushrooms (white) | 45 | Low |
| Cauliflower | 45 (35–55) | Low |
| Artichoke † | 45 | Low |
| Kale † | 40 | Low |
| Brussels sprouts | 40 | Low |
| Asparagus | 35 | Low |
| Shiitake mushrooms (fresh) | 25 | Low |
| Green peas | 20 | Low |
| Beets † | 20 | Low |
| Sweet potato | 15 | Low |
| Celery † | 15 | Low |
| Zucchini | 15 | Low |
| Corn | 10 | Low |
| Cucumber | 10 | Low |
| Bell peppers | 5 (<5–70) | Low |
| Tomatoes | 5 | Low |
| Lettuce | 5 | Low |
| Cabbage | 5 | Low |
| Potato | 5 | Low |
| Turnip | 5 | Low |
| Green beans | 5 | Low |
| Carrots | <3 | Low |
| Onions | <3 | Low |
| Radish | <3 | Low |
Spinach varies widely: mature leaves measured about 51, baby spinach about 172, and boiled spinach about 39. Drying concentrates mushrooms: dried shiitake is about 310, against 25 fresh. Asparagus, white mushrooms and green peas each rest on one or two analyses (older tables list them at 60 to 65); either way, purine-rich vegetables aren’t linked to a higher risk of gout. More in our guide to purine content in vegetables.
Legumes and Soy
Cooked or canned, most legumes measure low: soaking, cooking and draining pull purines out of dried beans. Lentils, split peas, soybeans and lima beans haven’t been measured cooked, so the notes give their dried values instead.
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soy protein concentrate | 190 | High | Dry powder |
| Tempeh † | 65 | Moderate | |
| Edamame | 50 | Moderate | |
| Peanuts | 50 | Moderate | Right on the low/moderate line |
| Tofu | 25 (20–30) | Low | Silken about 20, other types up to about 30 |
| Black beans (canned, drained) | 24 | Low | |
| Kidney beans (canned, drained) | 23 | Low | |
| Navy beans (canned, drained) | 21 | Low | |
| Chickpeas (cooked) | 10 | Low | |
| Lentils (cooked) | Not measured | Likely low to moderate | Dried lentils: about 220 before cooking |
| Split peas (cooked) | Not measured | Likely low to moderate | Dried: about 195 |
| Soybeans (cooked) | Not measured | Likely low to moderate | Dried: about 175 |
| Lima beans (cooked) | Not measured | Likely low to moderate | Dried: about 145 |
Grains and Cereals
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat germ † | 110 | High |
| Oat bran † | 80 | Moderate |
| Oatmeal (cooked) † | 40 | Low |
| Quinoa (cooked) † | 40 | Low |
| Whole wheat bread † | 35 | Low |
| Barley (cooked) † | 35 | Low |
| Brown rice (cooked) † | 30 | Low |
| Cornmeal † | 30 | Low |
| Millet (cooked) † | 30 | Low |
| Pasta (cooked) † | 25 | Low |
| White bread | 10 | Low |
| White rice (cooked) | 5 | Low |
Dairy and Eggs
Dairy is linked to lower gout risk: in the same 12-year study of men, those who ate the most dairy had a 44% lower risk of developing gout than those who ate the least.
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Whey protein † | 15 | Low |
| Cottage cheese | 10 | Low |
| Cheddar cheese † | 10 | Low |
| Mozzarella † | 10 | Low |
| Swiss cheese † | 10 | Low |
| Cream cheese † | 8 | Low |
| Ice cream † | 8 | Low |
| Yogurt (plain) | 5 (5–10) | Low |
| Milk (skim or whole) | <3 | Low |
| Butter | <3 | Low |
| Eggs (whole, white or yolk) | <3 | Low |
Fruits
Fruits are all low in purines. The fructose column matters more: fructose raises uric acid, and the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 guideline conditionally recommends limiting high-fructose corn syrup. Fructose values are grams of free fructose per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central. Table sugar (sucrose) is half fructose once digested, so fruits and sauces that also contain sucrose deliver a little more than the column shows.
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Fructose (g per 100 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Avocado | 20 | 0.1 |
| Dates (Medjool) † | 15 | 32.0 |
| Raisins † | 15 | 34.7 |
| Figs (dried) † | 15 | 22.9 |
| Apple † | 10 | 5.9 |
| Pear † | 10 | 6.4 |
| Blueberries † | 10 | 5.0 |
| Cherries (sweet) † | 10 | 5.4 |
| Orange † | 10 | 2.3 |
| Raspberries † | 10 | 2.4 |
| Grapes † | 8 | 8.1 |
| Mango † | 8 | 4.7 |
| Pineapple † | 8 | 2.1 |
| Plum † | 8 | 3.1 |
| Peach † | 8 | 1.5 |
| Banana | 5 | 4.9 |
| Watermelon † | 5 | 3.4 |
| Strawberries | <3 | 2.4 |
| Apple juice | <3 | 5.7 |
| Orange juice | <3 | 2.2 |
Cherries are a special case: in a 2012 study of 633 people with gout, eating cherries over a two-day period was linked to a 35% lower risk of a gout attack. Dried fruit packs far more fructose per 100 g than fresh (raisins 34.7 g against 8.1 g for grapes), and juice delivers fructose without the fiber of whole fruit.
Beverages
| Drink | Purines (mg per 100 mL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | 10 (10–15) | About 35 mg per 12 oz; the alcoholic drink most strongly linked to gout |
| Wine (red or white) | <3 | Not linked to gout at moderate intake in a large study |
| Spirits | <3 | Linked to gout, though less strongly than beer |
| Tea | <3 | |
| Soda (regular) † | 0 | Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are linked to higher gout risk |
| Energy drinks † | 0 | Often sugar-sweetened |
| Coffee † | 0 | |
| Water † | 0 |
The alcohol notes come from a 12-year study of 47,150 men: each daily 12-oz beer was linked to a 49% higher risk of gout and each daily shot of spirits to 15%, while wine showed no significant link. In a similar study of soft drinks, men who drank two or more sugar-sweetened sodas a day had an 85% higher risk; diet sodas weren’t linked.
Nuts and Seeds
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Chia seeds | 60 | Moderate |
| Sunflower seeds † | 45 | Low |
| Flax seeds † | 45 | Low |
| Cashews † | 40 | Low |
| Pumpkin seeds † | 40 | Low |
| Sesame seeds | 35 | Low |
| Almonds | 30 | Low |
| Pistachios † | 30 | Low |
| Pecans † | 25 | Low |
| Hazelnuts † | 25 | Low |
| Walnuts | 20 | Low |
| Macadamia nuts † | 20 | Low |
Condiments, Spreads and Sweeteners
| Food | Purines (mg per 100 g) | Fructose (g per 100 g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeast extract (Marmite, Vegemite) † | 1,810 | 0 | Extremely high purine |
| Nutritional yeast | Not measured | 0 | Very high purine: the closest database entry, dried yeast, measures about 850 |
| Gravy (meat-based) † | 80 | 0 | From meat drippings |
| Bouillon or stock † | 60 | 0 | From meat extraction |
| Soy sauce | 50 | 0 | Moderate |
| BBQ sauce | 15 | 14.2 | Sugar or HFCS |
| Ketchup | 10 | 8.7 | Sugar or HFCS |
| Maple syrup † | 5 | 0.5 | Mostly sucrose |
| Agave nectar † | 5 | 55.6 | Extremely high fructose |
| Honey | <3 | 40.9 | Very high fructose |
Why Purines Are Only Part of the Story
Animal purines matter more than plant purines. In the 2012 study of 633 people with gout, the biggest two-day purine intakes were linked to almost five times the odds of a recurrent attack. Purines from animal sources carried far more of that risk (2.41 times the odds in the top fifth) than purines from plants (1.39 times). In the 12-year study of men, the highest meat and seafood intakes were linked to 41% and 51% higher risk of developing gout, while purine-rich vegetables showed no link.
Sugar and alcohol count too. The ACR 2020 guideline conditionally recommends that people with gout limit purines, alcohol and high-fructose corn syrup, regardless of disease activity. Fructose raises uric acid even though it contains no purines, which is why regular soda appears in the chart above with a purine value of zero.
Excretion is often the bigger problem. Your body makes uric acid from its own purines as well as from food, and about two-thirds of it normally leaves through the kidneys. A 2025 review notes that reduced kidney clearance of uric acid drives high levels in most people with gout, which is why hydration, kidney health and medication matter alongside diet.
How Many Purines a Day Is Too Much?
US guidance doesn’t set a number. The ACR guideline conditionally recommends limiting purine intake but sets no daily cap. Japan’s gout guideline recommends about 400 mg of purines a day, and a 2024 analysis found that standard balanced diets, including the US MyPlate plan, the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, already land at roughly 300 to 500 mg a day.
That puts the chart in perspective. A 4-ounce salmon fillet (about 280 mg) or a tin of sardines (about 340 mg) uses most of a 400 mg day on its own. Eggs, yogurt, a cheese sandwich, rice and most vegetables barely move the total. Spending your purines on one modest portion of meat or fish a day, built around low-purine sides, is a practical way to use the chart.
Tracking What Matters
Rather than memorizing values or chasing an exact daily limit, track what you eat alongside your symptoms. Patterns show up over a few weeks, and they may or may not match purine content alone. Urica logs purines, fructose and hydration next to your flare data, so you can see which foods matter for you.
The Bottom Line
The highest-purine foods are yeast extract, organ meats, anchovies, sardines, sprats and mussels, and newer USDA data adds salmon, pork loin and chops, deli turkey and salami to the over-200 list. Most other meat and fish are high (100 to 200 mg per 100 g), while vegetables, legumes, dairy, eggs, grains, nuts and fruit are mostly low. Use the chart to keep high-purine foods to modest portions, lean on plant and dairy proteins, and remember that alcohol, sugary drinks and kidney clearance shape uric acid as much as the numbers on this page.
Sources
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central (SR Legacy fructose values).
- FitzGerald JD, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Care & Research, 2020.
- 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.
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 green peas?
Raw green peas measured about 20 mg of purines per 100 g in the one analysis in the USDA database, which is low. Older tables list them at about 65, and two analyses of canned peas disagree: about 72 in a USDA sample and 19 in a Japanese one. Either way, peas are a plant purine, and a large 12-year study found purine-rich vegetables weren't linked to a higher risk of gout.
Is duck high in purines?
Yes. Duck isn't in the USDA purine database, but older tables list it at about 138 mg of purines per 100 g raw, in the high band (100–200 mg). That's similar to chicken thigh (140) and a little below chicken breast (160). A 4-ounce (113 g) portion carries about 155 mg, so treat duck like other poultry: a modest portion as the day's purine-rich food, not during a flare.
Are pistachios high in purines?
No. Pistachios are low in purines at about 30 mg per 100 g in older tables (they aren't in the USDA database), so a 1-ounce (28 g) handful carries under 10 mg. Most nuts are in the low band: almonds about 30, walnuts 20 and cashews 40. Peanuts (50) sit right on the low/moderate line, and chia seeds (60) are moderate. Nuts are a sensible swap for meat as a protein on a gout diet.
Is pork tenderloin high in purines?
Yes. Pork tenderloin measures about 180 mg of purines per 100 g raw in the USDA database, in the high band, so a 4-ounce (113 g) portion carries about 205 mg. Older charts list it around 125. Pork loin and chops measured even higher in USDA's 2024 analyses, at about 235 (very high), while pork shoulder is about 95. Keep pork portions modest and count them as the day's purine-rich food.
Is beef tongue high in purines?
The one analysis in the USDA database found about 90 mg of purines per 100 g raw, which is moderate, but older tables list beef tongue at about 160. With a single measurement that came in well below the older figures, it's safest to treat tongue like other beef and organ cuts: a modest portion, counted as the day's purine-rich food, and skipped during a flare.