Purine Restricted Diet

(For Patients with Gout)

Reduce intake of meats and seafood. Limit to 4-6 oz. daily.
Avoid shellfish (shrimp, clams, crab, lobster, mussels, scallops), sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring, meat broth, large amounts of meat, organ meats (brain, kidney, liver, sweetbreads, tongue).
Eat less mushrooms, green peas, spinach, spinach, cauliflower, oatmeal and whole wheat bread.
The following may be consumed as desired: cereal and grain products (rice porridge, noodles, pasta, rice, crackers, bread), vegetables, potato, taro, yam, fruits, eggs, nuts, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
Avoid alcohol.
Drink 8 to 12 glasses of water daily (2-3 qts) to promote excretion of uric acid. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or take a ‘water pill’ or diuretic, talk with your doctor first.
Maintain ideal body weight. If overweight, a gradual weight reduction of 1-2 lbs. a week is suggested. Limit foods high in fat and sugar to aid in weight maintenance.

Purine Content of Foods

Food Group	Low Purine (0-50 mg purine/100g)	Moderate Purine (50-150 mg purine/100g)	High Purine (150-825 mg purine/100g)
Breads, Cereals & Grain Products	White Bread Cornbread Noodles Macaroni Spaghetti White Rice Crackers	Wheat Bread Oatmeal Wheat Bran Wheat Germ Brown Rice Barley
Fruit	Most fruits (Except those noted in the next column)	Banana Dried fruit
Vegetables	Most vegetables (Except those noted in the next column)	Asparagus Broccoli Cauliflower Spinach Mushroom Green Peas
Meats, Poultry, Fish & Protein Foods	Eggs Peanut butter Nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.)	Red meat (beef, lamb, pork) Poultry without skin (chicken, duck) Rabbit Lunch meat Fish (cod, eel, haddock, halibut) Shellfish (shrimp, crab, oysters, clams, lobster, mussels, scallops, etc.) Tofu Peanuts	Sardines Mackerel Anchovies Herring Organ meats (liver, kidney, brain, heart, sweetbread, tongue, etc.) Dried beans (red bean, mung bean, soybean, black-eyed peas, lentils, etc.) Goose Turkey
Milk & Milk Products	All low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, etc.)
Other		Meat soups	Gravies

Note: Too much purine can increase the uric acid level in the blood. Patients suffering from gout should limit their intake of moderate and high purine foods. Beans, lentils, vegetables, and whole grains have not been shown to increase the risk of gout or flare-ups. Please speak with a doctor and registered dietitian to determine the best treatment for you.

Reference: Bowes & Church’s “Food Values of Portions Commonly Used”, 19th Edition, 2010.

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