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Low purine foods include eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt, most vegetables and fruits, rice and most other cereals, plain tofu and soymilk, most fresh mushrooms and many beans, according to a 2014 laboratory analysis of 270 foods by Kaneko and colleagues. The USDA SR Legacy food database has no purine values, so the purine content of foods below comes from that peer-reviewed study, reported exactly as published in milligrams per 100 grams. In the Kaneko study, chicken eggs and milk measured 0 and cabbage 3.2 milligrams per 100 grams, while chicken liver measured 312.2. Below is a low purine foods list, the study’s five purine groups, foods that measured higher, and what NIAMS and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) say about purines in the diet.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods or gout products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice. NIAMS advises talking with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications.
Key Takeaways
- USDA SR Legacy has no purine data, so the values here come from a 2014 laboratory analysis of 270 foods by Kaneko and colleagues.
- In the Kaneko study, eggs and milk measured 0, and cheese, yogurt, most vegetables, the two fruits tested, most cereals, plain tofu and soymilk measured under 50 milligrams per 100 grams.
- All raw meats measured above 50 milligrams per 100 grams, and about 90% of raw fish above 100, in the same analysis.
- Dried foods such as dried soybeans, dried shiitake and seaweed read high per 100 grams because drying concentrates them, the authors explain.
- NIAMS says urate comes from purines in the body and in many foods; ask your doctor before changing your diet.
What are low purine foods?
Purines are natural compounds found in all of the body’s cells and in virtually all foods, and the body breaks them down into uric acid, the Kaneko paper explains. NIAMS, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, says that urate comes from purines, which are found in your body’s tissues and many foods, and that when purines break down, they become urate.
Low purine foods, or foods low in purines, are simply foods with a small amount of purines for their weight. Kaneko’s team measured four purine bases (adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine and xanthine) by laboratory chromatography in foods bought at supermarkets, added them up, and sorted the results into five groups:
| Group (Kaneko 2014) | Total purines per 100 g | Examples measured in the study |
|---|---|---|
| Very low | under 50 mg | eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, carrot, onion, potato, banana, rice, plain tofu |
| Low | 50 to 100 mg | broccoli, cauliflower, spinach leaf, eggplant, green pepper, buckwheat flour, bacon |
| Middle | 100 to 200 mg | chicken breast, salmon, tuna, natto, salami, prosciutto, oyster |
| High | 200 to 300 mg | beef liver, pork liver, sardine, bonito, parsley |
| Very high | over 300 mg | chicken liver, steamed monkfish liver, half-dried sardine |
Low purine foods list: values from the 2014 study
The table gives total purines in milligrams per 100 grams of food as listed in the Kaneko study tables, for foods in its very low group. Japanese food names are given in English, and values are for the foods as tested.
| Food (Kaneko 2014 table) | Total purines per 100 g | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken egg | 0.0 mg | Very low |
| Milk | 0.0 mg | Very low |
| Strawberry | 2.1 mg | Very low |
| Carrot | 2.2 mg | Very low |
| Onion | 2.3 mg | Very low |
| Banana | 3.0 mg | Very low |
| Cherry tomato | 3.1 mg | Very low |
| Cabbage | 3.2 mg | Very low |
| Yogurt | 5.2 mg | Very low |
| Cheese | 5.7 mg | Very low |
| Potato | 6.5 mg | Very low |
| Cucumber | 9.4 mg | Very low |
| Corn | 11.7 mg | Very low |
| Zucchini | 13.1 mg | Very low |
| Garlic | 17.0 mg | Very low |
| Sweet potato | 17.0 mg | Very low |
| Avocado | 18.4 mg | Very low |
| Green peas, canned | 18.8 mg | Very low |
| Tofu (silken, kinu) | 20.0 mg | Very low |
| Shiitake, raw | 20.8 mg | Very low |
| Soymilk | 22.0 mg | Very low |
| Rice, polished (white) | 25.9 mg | Very low |
| Almond | 31.4 mg | Very low |
| Broad bean | 35.5 mg | Very low |
| Rice, unpolished (brown) | 37.4 mg | Very low |
| Okra | 39.5 mg | Very low |
| Barley | 44.3 mg | Very low |
| Green soybean (edamame) | 47.9 mg | Very low |
| Peanut | 49.1 mg | Very low |
Low purine foods by food group
Eggs and dairy
Kaneko’s group found that eggs and dairy products contained almost no purines or less than 13 milligrams per 100 grams. Chicken eggs, quail eggs and milk measured 0.0, yogurt 5.2, cheese 5.7 and grated cheese 12.9 milligrams per 100 grams in the study tables. NIAMS lists low-fat or fat-free dairy products among the foods in the DASH eating plan. See our egg guide, milk guide, yogurt guide and cheese guide.
Vegetables and fruits
About 70% of the 38 vegetable samples in the Kaneko study measured under 50 milligrams per 100 grams, and 13 measured more. Cabbage, carrot, onion, cucumber, potato and corn were all under 12. Broccoli (70.0), cauliflower (57.2), spinach leaf (51.4) and eggplant (50.7) fell in the low group, and the upper part of asparagus measured 55.3 against 10.2 for the lower part. Parsley measured 288.9, but the authors note it is used in small amounts, at most 2 grams, as a garnish. The two fruits tested were very low in the Kaneko study: banana 3.0 and strawberry 2.1 milligrams per 100 grams. See our broccoli, spinach, asparagus, avocado, banana and strawberries guides.
Grains, beans and soy
Most cereals, beans and soybean products in the Kaneko study measured under 50 milligrams per 100 grams: polished rice 25.9, unpolished rice 37.4, barley 44.3, peanuts 49.1 and almonds 31.4. Buckwheat flour was an exception at 75.9. Silken tofu measured 20.0, chilled firm tofu 31.1 and soymilk 22.0, while deep-fried tofu came in at 54.4 and natto, a fermented soybean food, at 113.9. Green soybeans measured 47.9, and dried soybeans 172.5, which the authors explain reflects water lost in drying. See our white rice, brown rice, tofu, edamame and natto guides.
Mushrooms and seaweed
Most mushrooms in the Kaneko study measured between 6.9 and 98.5 milligrams per 100 grams; raw shiitake was 20.8. Dried shiitake measured 379.5, which the authors attribute to purines being concentrated as the mushroom dries. Dried nori measured 591.7 and kombu 46.4, and the authors point out that dried seaweed is light and only a little is used in cooking. See our mushrooms, shiitake and nori guides.
Processed meats and fish products
Some processed foods measured lower than fresh meat in the Kaneko study tables: Vienna sausage 45.5, corned beef 47.0 and frankfurter sausage 49.8 milligrams per 100 grams, and Japanese fish products such as kamaboko 26.4 and fish sausage 22.6. Bacon (61.8) and boneless ham (74.2) were in the low group, and salami (120.4) and prosciutto (138.3) in the middle group. A purine figure says nothing about sodium or saturated fat; our deli meat, salami and prosciutto guides cover those.
Foods that measured higher, for comparison
In the Kaneko analysis, all raw meats measured above 50 milligrams per 100 grams and 60% above 100, and about 90% of raw fish measured above 100. Values from the study tables include chicken breast 141.2, salmon 119.3, tuna 157.4, oyster 184.5, kuruma shrimp 195.3, sardine 210.4, beef liver 219.8, pork liver 284.8 and chicken liver 312.2 milligrams per 100 grams. Our foods with the most purines guide covers this end of the scale, and our sardines, anchovies and shrimp guides cover nutrition.
How cooking and drying change the numbers
Values per 100 grams in the Kaneko tables depend on water content. Kaneko’s group marks dried foods that cannot be eaten without cooking with an asterisk and explains that their purines appear concentrated because water is lost in drying; dried soybeans, dried shiitake and nori are examples. Cooking results in the study tables point both ways: firm tofu measured 31.1 chilled and 21.9 after three minutes of boiling, while beef topside measured 135.2 raw and 143.5 heated. The type of purine also differs by food, the authors report: most meat and fish purines were hypoxanthine, while cereals, beans, soy, dairy, mushrooms and vegetables were mostly adenine and guanine.
What NIAMS and the ACR guideline say about diet
NIAMS lists eating foods that are rich in purines (usually from animal sources) among the factors that may increase the chance of developing gout, alongside drinking alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda. NIAMS’s suggested diet changes for people with gout include drinking fewer alcoholic beverages, including nonalcoholic beer; avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks; avoiding red meats and organ meats (liver, kidney, tongue and sweetbreads) that are higher in purines; avoiding certain seafood such as shellfish (shrimp and lobster), sardines and anchovies; and following the DASH eating plan, which includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy, poultry and oils.
NIAMS also states that when gout comes with frequent flares or tophi, lifestyle changes alone are not sufficient, and it advises: “Always talk with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications.”
The 2020 ACR gout guideline conditionally recommends limiting purine intake for patients with gout, regardless of disease activity, and rates the certainty of evidence as low. The ACR guideline makes the same kind of conditional recommendation for limiting alcohol and high-fructose corn syrup, notes that diet changes likely yield only small changes in serum urate while dietary factors may act as flare triggers, and cautions that diet advice should not come across as blaming patients. Our gout eating guide covers the guideline in more detail, and the sister guide on foods high in tyramine uses a similar research table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which foods have almost no purines?
In the 2014 Kaneko analysis, chicken eggs, quail eggs and milk measured 0, and cheese and yogurt measured under 6 milligrams per 100 grams.
Are vegetables low in purines?
Most are. About 70% of the 38 vegetable samples in the Kaneko study measured under 50 milligrams per 100 grams; broccoli, cauliflower and spinach leaf were between 50 and 100, and parsley measured higher but is used in small amounts.
Is tofu a low purine food?
Plain tofu was in the very low group in the Kaneko study, at 20.0 milligrams per 100 grams for silken tofu and 31.1 for chilled firm tofu. Deep-fried tofu measured 54.4 and natto 113.9.
Why are purines missing from USDA nutrient tables?
USDA SR Legacy does not report purines, so this guide uses a peer-reviewed laboratory study instead.
Does cooking lower purines?
The Kaneko tables show mixed results: boiled firm tofu measured lower than chilled tofu, while heated beef topside measured slightly higher than raw.
Should I follow a purine food list?
Ask your doctor. NIAMS advises talking with your doctor before changing your diet or medications, and the 2020 ACR guideline rates the evidence for limiting purines as low certainty.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines or are pregnant. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Foods High in Tyramine: Aged Cheese, Sausage, Soy and Beer, Foods High in Purines: What Research and Gout Guidelines Say, Cherries Benefits: USDA Cherry Nutrition, Sweet vs Tart and Pits.