Fridge reference · diet & gout

Know Your Purines

<200mg
purine per day, a reasonable daily target

Purines break down into uric acid — too much, and it can crystallise in joints and trigger a gout attack. Foods aren't all equal: this chart sorts common ones into red (high purine, avoid), amber (moderate, limit portions) and green (low, eat freely), with typical purine content in mg per 100g.

Stop & think

150–1,000+ mg / 100g · avoid or occasional only

Organ meat, game & extracts

  • Liver (beef/chicken)200–550
  • Kidney & sweetbreads220–1,260
  • Venison, pheasant, rabbit105–165
  • Yeast extract (Marmite)680–1,810
  • Meat extract (Oxo, Bovril)very high

Small fish, oily fish & roe

  • Anchovies239
  • Sardines345–480
  • Herring & mackerel145–219
  • Trout297
  • Scallops136
  • Crayfish & lobster60–175
  • Fish roe & caviar144+

Drinks & extras

  • Beer, all typeshigh
  • Spiritshigh
  • Sugary soda / HFCS drinks—
  • Gravy & rich meat sauceshigh

Beer adds purine directly and blocks the kidneys from clearing uric acid; sugary drinks push the liver to make more of it.

Slow down

50–150 mg / 100g · fine in modest portions

Meat, poultry & fish

  • Chicken, turkey, duck115–150
  • Beef, pork, lamb110–145
  • Ham & bacon131
  • Cod & haddock109–139
  • Salmon & tuna170–257
  • Oysters, mussels, prawns90–147

Plant proteins & veg

  • Lentils, chickpeas, peas84–127
  • Soya beans & tofu68–190
  • Cauliflower, broccoli, kale51–81
  • Spinach, asparagus, mushroom20–60
  • Peanuts & cashewsmoderate

Plant purines behave differently in the body — studies find these vegetables don't raise gout risk the way meat does.

Grains & extras

  • Wholegrain bread & oats51–96
  • Brown rice & wholewheat pasta50–90
  • Wine, in moderationlower risk than beer

Go ahead

0–50 mg / 100g · enjoy freely

Fruit & vegetables

  • Cherries17
  • Apples, oranges, berries14–22
  • Tomatoes, carrots, cucumber7–19
  • Potatoes16–18

Cherries in particular are linked to fewer flare-ups.

Dairy, eggs & grains

  • Milk & yogurt (low-fat best)8
  • Cheese6–9
  • Eggsvery low
  • White bread, rice, pasta14–40

Fats, nuts & drinks

  • Butter, olive oil & other fatsvery low
  • Walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds23–37
  • Water, tea, black coffee0
  • Jam & honey, in moderationvery low
Hydrate8–10 glasses of water a day helps kidneys clear uric acid.
Go easy on beerAlcohol, especially beer, raises uric acid and stops the body clearing it.
Lose weight slowlyCrash diets and fasting can trigger attacks — steady is safer.
Cherries & dairyRegular low-fat dairy and cherries are linked to fewer flares.
Diet isn't everythingFood is only part of the picture — most people also need medication.

This chart is for general information only and is not medical advice. Purine values are typical averages and vary by cut, ripeness and cooking method — boiling leaches out purines, for instance. Personal trigger foods differ from person to person. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian before making major changes, especially if you take gout medication.

Mayo ClinicArthritis FoundationCleveland ClinicNational Kidney FoundationUK Gout SocietyGrahame, Simmonds & Carrey, Gout