Do high-purine vegetables cause gout?

Large studies found that purines from vegetables, legumes, and mushrooms do not raise gout risk the way purines from meat and seafood do. High-purine plants like spinach, asparagus, and lentils are generally safe in normal portions.

Guide

Plant purines are not animal purines

One of the most common gout mistakes is cutting out healthy vegetables because a chart says they are high in purines. The source of the purine matters more than the raw number.

Last reviewed June 13, 2026.

What the research found

In large studies tracking thousands of people, purines from meat and seafood clearly raised the risk of gout. Purines from vegetables, legumes, and mushrooms did not. The same chemical behaves differently depending on the food it comes in, which is why we weight a food's purines by its source when we grade it.

Two more reasons the raw number misleads

Per 100 g is not a serving. Spinach reads high per 100 g, but a normal portion is small, so the purines you actually eat are modest.
Plants bring benefits too. Vegetables, beans, and whole grains are part of the eating pattern linked to fewer flares, not more.

Food	Grade	Purine	Fructose	Confidence
Seaweed (nori, dried)	A	591.5 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Mushrooms (shiitake, dried)	A	311.6 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Tofu (dried-frozen (koyadofu))	A	292.3 mg	0.3 g	Moderate confidence
Fresh Parsley	A	289.3 mg	0.42 g	Moderate confidence
Wakame Seaweed	A	262.3 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Soup (matsutake type, powdered)	B	233.9 mg	0.15 g	Moderate confidence

Food

Grade

Purine

Fructose

Seaweed (nori, dried)

591.5 mg

0 g

Mushrooms (shiitake, dried)

311.6 mg

0 g

Tofu (dried-frozen (koyadofu))

292.3 mg

0.3 g

Fresh Parsley

289.3 mg

0.42 g

Wakame Seaweed

262.3 mg

0 g

Soup (matsutake type, powdered)

233.9 mg

0.15 g

Food	Grade	Purine	Fructose	Confidence
Seabass (Japanese, skin)	E	1399.7 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Mackerel (Japanese, skin)	E	1175 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Umami Broth (powdered)	E	684.8 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Cod Milt	D	559.9 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence
Soup (stock, Chinese, dried)	E	508.9 mg	20.6 g	Moderate confidence
Bonito (dried)	E	492.9 mg	0 g	Moderate confidence

Food

Grade

Purine

Fructose

Seabass (Japanese, skin)

1399.7 mg

0 g

Mackerel (Japanese, skin)

1175 mg

0 g

Umami Broth (powdered)

684.8 mg

0 g

Cod Milt

559.9 mg

0 g

Soup (stock, Chinese, dried)

508.9 mg

20.6 g

Bonito (dried)

492.9 mg

0 g

Sources

1. Source: Choi HK, et al. Purine-rich foods, dairy and protein intake, and the risk of gout in men. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(11):1093–1103.
2. Source: Villegas R, et al. Purine-rich foods, protein intake, and serum uric acid (Shanghai cohorts). Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2012;22(5):409–416.

Values are per 100g unless a note says otherwise. Last reviewed June 13, 2026.

Not medical advice. General information only. Individual triggers vary; work with your doctor or dietitian on your own plan.

Plant purines are not animal purines

What the research found

Two more reasons the raw number misleads

High-purine plants that are still fine

Animal and seafood sources to watch

Sources