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Ketchup

Ketchup is low in purines and generally safe for people with gout in normal portions. A typical 16 g serving has about 2 mg of purines, under 1% of a ~400 mg working daily target. It also carries about 1.4 g of fructose per serving, which raises uric acid on its own.

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

How much can I eat?

Units

A typical serving is about 16 g, which delivers 2 mg of purines, or under 1% of a ~400 mg working daily target.

This serving
1 tbsp
16 g
Purine / serving
2 mg
% daily purine
<1%
Fructose / serving
1.4 g
Purines in this serving2 mg · <1% of a day
0 mg~400 mg daily limit
Fructose in this serving1.4 g · 11% of our daily reference

Added fructose raises uric acid on its own, so keep sugary foods and drinks small. This is the fructose, not the total sugar: a sucrose-sweetened product carries roughly twice this much sugar overall.

Evidence: Ayoub-Charette et al., J Nutr 2021 (fructose by food source) · White et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2018 (whole apple vs. a fructose drink, matched dose)

1 tbsp4 tbsp

Purines are not the limit here: even a large serving stays well within a ~400 mg working daily purine target. The sugar is what climbs with the portion.

Only part of these purines counts toward gout: the 2 mg here counts as roughly 1 mg toward your gout risk.

Ketchup is an easy choice to keep on hand.

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Why grade B

Safe for most people in normal portions.

Added fructose raises uric acid as your body breaks it down, even when the purine number looks low.

Added fructose trigger

Per 100 g (for comparison)

Purines Moderate confidence
10.6 mg/100g
LowModerateHighVery high

Low for gout (< 50 mg/100g).

Fructose High confidence
8.94 g/100g
LowModerateHighVery high

High for gout (8–15 g/100g).

Processing: NOVA 3 of 4 (processed food). How processing affects the grade.

Eating ketchup as part of a bigger dish? The Dish Decoder grades the whole plate, ingredient by ingredient.

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