Purine comparison chart
Put any two of 372 foods side by side and see the measured purine content in mg per 100 g and per serving, with the band each falls into. Values come from 830 measurements across two national databases, and every one is cited.
The comparisons people ask about
Each of these has its own page with the answer in a sentence, both servings worked out, and the source behind every measurement.
- Chicken vs BeefChicken higher by 48.1 mg153.8 mg vs 105.7 mg per 100 g
- Chicken vs PorkChicken higher by 37.4 mg153.8 mg vs 116.4 mg per 100 g
- Chicken vs TurkeyChicken higher by 66.2 mg153.8 mg vs 87.6 mg per 100 g
- Beef vs PorkSame band, 10.7 mg apart105.7 mg vs 116.4 mg per 100 g
- Beef vs TurkeySame band, 18.1 mg apart105.7 mg vs 87.6 mg per 100 g
- Chicken vs SalmonChicken higher by 6.8 mg153.8 mg vs 147 mg per 100 g
- Beer vs Wine & sakeSame band, 6.9 mg apart8.3 mg vs 1.4 mg per 100 g
- Chicken vs ShrimpShrimp higher by 67 mg153.8 mg vs 220.8 mg per 100 g
- Salmon vs TunaTuna higher by 64.2 mg147 mg vs 211.2 mg per 100 g
- Beef vs Lamb & muttonSame band, 12.6 mg apart105.7 mg vs 118.3 mg per 100 g
- Chicken vs DuckChicken higher by 65.8 mg153.8 mg vs 88 mg per 100 g
- Pork vs Lamb & muttonSame band, 1.9 mg apart116.4 mg vs 118.3 mg per 100 g
- Tofu vs ChickenChicken higher by 85.8 mg68 mg vs 153.8 mg per 100 g
- Eggs vs ChickenChicken higher by 152.9 mg0.9 mg vs 153.8 mg per 100 g
- Shrimp vs SalmonShrimp higher by 73.8 mg220.8 mg vs 147 mg per 100 g
- Liver vs BeefLiver higher by 141.3 mg247 mg vs 105.7 mg per 100 g
- Sardines vs SalmonSardines higher by 178.2 mg325.2 mg vs 147 mg per 100 g
- Mackerel vs SalmonMackerel higher by 83 mg230 mg vs 147 mg per 100 g
- Cod vs SalmonSame band, 36.7 mg apart110.3 mg vs 147 mg per 100 g
- Rice vs TofuSame band, 34 mg apart34 mg vs 68 mg per 100 g
How to read a comparison
Two numbers next to each other invite a conclusion they often do not support. Three things are worth holding onto:
- The band matters more than the gap. Where two foods land in the same band, the difference between them is usually inside the range you get from cooking either one differently — and where a band line happens to fall between two close values, the labels differ more than the foods do.
- Per 100 g is not per meal. A food measuring half as much per 100 g contributes more if you eat twice as much of it, which is most of what portion size does.
- A purine figure is not a risk score. Beer measures low and is the drink most linked with attacks; sugary drinks contain none at all and are associated with substantially higher risk.
Where the values come from
The Chinese NHC 2024 dietary guideline for hyperuricaemia and gout, and the USDA / ODS-NIH purine database. Nothing is averaged between them or estimated — each row on this site says which database measured it, and the two do not always agree. Where they differ, both figures are shown rather than blended.
To add up a whole day rather than compare two foods, use the purine calculator.
Reference information only. Purine values describe foods, not people: they cannot tell you what is safe for you to eat, and nothing here diagnoses or treats gout. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about your own diet and medication.
Common questions
Which meat has the most purines?
Organ meats, by a wide margin — liver sits far above every muscle meat measured. Among the muscle meats the ranking surprises people: chicken measures above beef and pork in this database, which is the opposite of the red-meat-is-worse assumption most gout advice starts from. The comparison pages below show each pairing with its numbers.
Is a small difference between two foods worth acting on?
Usually not. Where two foods land in the same band, the gap between them is often smaller than the spread you get from changing how either one is cooked — boiling leaches purines away, drying and grilling concentrate them. Each comparison page below states which is true for that pair. Portion size moves the total further than most substitutions do.
Why do other charts rank these foods differently?
Three reasons. Different databases measure different preparations of the same food, and 'chicken' can mean breast, thigh, skin or liver. Different guidelines draw their band lines at different milligram values, so the same number is called moderate in one scheme and high in another. And many charts online carry no citation at all, so there is no way to check which measurement they used.