Purines and purine Levels in different Meats
Purines
Our body metabolises purines -if there is inefficient enzyme action it can result in the build-up of uric acid. It then crystallises in joints, causing GOUT.
This Table from http://www.healthknot.com/natural_food_toxins.html below lists high-purine foods, in descending order. Those producing over 400mg/100g of uric acid are very high; foods between 100-400mg/100g are moderately high, and those below 100mg/100g are considered low in purines.
PURINES – FOOD CONTENT (uric acid mg/100g) | |||||
Theobromine | 2300 | Herring, Atlantic | 210 | Haddock | 139 |
Brewer’s yeast | 1810 | Horse meat | 200 | Duck | 138 |
Calf’s thymus | 1260 | Soybeans, dried | 190 | Venison, leg | 138 |
Sprat, smoked | 804 | Herring roe | 190 | Pig’s tongue | 136 |
Sheep’s spleen | 773 | Lamb (muscles) | 182 | Scallop | 136 |
Baker’s yeast | 680 | Halibut | 178 | Beef muscle | 136 |
Ox liver | 554 | Chicken breast (w/skin) | 175 | Rabbit meat w/bone | 132 |
Pig’s heart | 530 | Veal muscle | 172 | Sole | 131 |
Pig’s spleen/liver | 516 | Salmon | 170 | Ham, cooked | 131 |
Cep mushrooms, dried | 488 | Poppy seed, dry | 170 | White bean, dry | 128 |
Sardines in oil | 480 | Pork muscles | 166 | Lentil, dry | 127 |
Calf’s liver | 460 | Goose | 165 | Pork belly, smoked | 127 |
Ox liver | 444 | Sausage (liverwurst) | 165 | Beef chuck/fore rib | 120 |
Pig’s lungs (lights) | 434 | Coalfish | 163 | Lobster | 118 |
Ox lungs (lights) | 399 | Carp | 160 | Chicken for roasting | 115 |
Pilchard | 345 | Ox tong | 160 | Mussel | 112 |
Calf’s spleen | 343 | Pork, hind leg | 160 | Sausage (jugdwurst) | 112 |
Pig’s kidney | 334 | Chicken | 159 | Beef fillet/shoulder/sirloin | 110 |
Trout | 297 | Pork fillet/shoulder | 150 | Chicken leg w/skin | 110 |
Tuna in oil | 290 | Turkey, young | 150 | Pike-perch | 110 |
Ox kidney | 269 | Veal knuckle/leg/neck w/bone | 150 | Cod | 109 |
Tuna | 257 | Calf’s lungs | 147 | Garbanzo beans, dry | 109 |
Ox heart | 256 | Shrimp, brown | 147 | Raisins, dried (sultana) | 107 |
Chicken liver | 243 | Mackerel | 145 | Linseed | 105 |
Redfish | 241 | Pork chop w/bone | 144 | Rabbit/Hare | 105 |
Sheep’s heart | 241 | Caviar | 144 | Venison, back | 105 |
Anchovy | 239 | Sunflower seed, dry | 143 | Sausage salami | 104 |
Mungo bean, dry | 222 | Pike | 140 | Pork sausage | 101 |
Herring, cured | 219 | Pork chuck | 140 | Pork belly | 100 |
Calf’s kidney | 218 | Veal chop/fillet/shoulder | 140 | Barley w/o husk, dry | 96 |
There are also some plant foods – like soybean and some beans/legumes – that have high nominal levels of purines, but they are generally lower than in meats.