How much Bonito (dried) can I eat with gout?

A typical serving is about 5 g, which delivers 25 mg of purines, or about 6% of a ~400 mg working daily target. Stick to one normal portion and skip seconds, especially during a flare.

Is Bonito (dried) high in purines?

Bonito (dried) is very high in purines by weight: about 493 mg per 100 g. A typical 5 g serving works out to about 25 mg, or about 6% of a ~400 mg working daily target.

Does Bonito (dried) cause gout?

No single food causes gout; it develops from high uric acid over time. Bonito (dried) is graded C: a normal portion is fine, but it counts against your daily total, so it is the second helping and the frequency that matter.

Bonito (dried)

Bonito (dried) is fine in moderation. Watch your portion size, especially during a flare. A typical 5 g serving has about 25 mg of purines, about 6% of a ~400 mg working daily target.

General information, not a substitute for advice from your doctor or dietitian.

Value is per 100g of dried bonito (katsuobushi). It is shaved into thin flakes and used in small amounts as a garnish or to make dashi stock (a few grams per dish), so a normal serving delivers far less than this concentrated per-100g figure.

Very concentrated: about 493 mg of purines per 100 g. A typical serving is small (about 5 g), so the per-serving figure looks low, but it is easy to overdo. We do not rate it as safe to eat freely.

How much can I eat?

Units

A typical serving is about 5 g, which delivers 25 mg of purines, or about 6% of a ~400 mg working daily target.

This serving

5 g

Purine / serving

25 mg

% daily purine

Purines in this serving25 mg · 6% of a day

0 mg~400 mg daily limit

Adjust the serving

5 g10 g

This food is very concentrated, so a small serving goes a long way; we don't suggest a larger amount.

Very concentrated: about 493 mg of purines per 100 g. A typical serving is small (about 5 g), so the per-serving figure looks low, but it is easy to overdo. We do not rate it as safe to eat freely.

Portion size is what matters most here, and it’s easy to misjudge by eye. A kitchen scale makes it simple.

Shop a kitchen scale on Amazon

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Why grade C

Fine in moderation. Mind your portion size, especially during a flare.

Per 100 g (for comparison)

Purines Moderate confidence

493 mg/100g

LowModerateHighVery high

Very high for gout (> 300 mg/100g).

Fructose Low confidence (estimated)

0 g/100g

LowModerateHighVery high

Low for gout (< 3 g/100g).

Fructose here is a category-level estimate, not a direct measurement for this food.

Processing: NOVA 1 of 4 (unprocessed or minimally processed). How processing affects the grade.

Eating bonito (dried) as part of a bigger dish? The Dish Decoder grades the whole plate, ingredient by ingredient.

Grade a dish or browse every food rating

Sources

1. Purine data: USDA Purine Database 2025 - Table 2 (International) Evidence tier: Peer-reviewed literature Replication: 1 sample International literature sources
2. Fructose data: Biochemical derivation Evidence tier: Estimated

Source details
Biochemically derived value: (1) Distilled spirits contain no purines post-distillation; all nitrogen compounds are removed in the still. (2) Animal muscle tissue contains no fructose; mammalian/avian/fish cells do not synthesise or store fructose. Source: standard biochemistry references.

Values are per 100g unless a note says otherwise, rounded to three significant figures; per-serving figures are calculated from the unrounded measurement, so recomputing from the rounded number can differ by a milligram or so. A single determination is normal in food composition tables, not a defect. Last reviewed July 18, 2026.

How we grade foods

Grades combine purine and fructose data with known gout triggers and benefits. We show our confidence on every food.

Bonito (dried)

How much can I eat?

Why grade C

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