Gout is a painful form of arthritis linked to uric acid buildup and dietary purines. While many people are told to avoid seafood entirely, research shows that not all fish and shellfish are high in purines. This article breaks down which wild-caught seafood options are lower in purines, how purine content really works, and how people with gout can make informed, evidence based food choices without unnecessarily restricting nutrient dense foods. This article is intended to clarify common misconceptions about gout and seafood and help readers make informed, evidence based choices, not to replace medical advice.
What Causes Gout and Why Purines Matter
Millions of people around the world have gout, a type of arthritis. Gout attacks can happen when crystals of uric acid build up in the joints, which causes severe pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Uric acid is made when purines, which are found in many foods, are broken down by our body. Uric acid usually dissolves in the bloodstream and leaves our body through urine. But if the body makes too much uric acid or the kidneys can't get rid of it quickly enough, it can build up in the body and turn into crystals that settle in the joints and begin to wreak havoc!
Attacks of gout can come on quickly and without warning, and they often happen in the middle of the night. The joint that hurts gets hot, red, and swollen, and the pain can be unbearable. Oftentimes it will happen in the big toe joint, known as the podagra. Attacks of gout can last for days or weeks and can be very painful, and a huge inconvenience to everyday activities.
Medication can of course help with gout symptoms, and speaking with your doctor about medication options is very important to tackle gout. From the prevention side, watching your purine intake can help reduce attacks too.
How Much Purine Intake Is Recommended for Gout
The purine limit per day for someone trying to avoid gout flare-ups can vary depending on several factors, including age, sex, weight, and medical history. There isn't an official US number - the American College of Rheumatology's 2020 gout guideline makes a conditional recommendation to limit purines, but doesn't set a milligram target.¹ The figure of around 400 mg a day that gets quoted often comes from Japanese hyperuricemia guidance.²
A 2012 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that men who consumed the lowest amount of purines (less than 100 mg per day) had a significantly lower risk of gout attacks than men who consumed higher amounts of purines.
Not All Seafood Is High in Purines
Some foods are high in purines, which can make you more likely to get gout. Red meat, organ meats, some seafood, and alcoholic drinks, especially beer, are all things high in purines, and important to limit or avoid completely. Not all seafood and fish have high purine levels.
Lower-Purine Seafood Options That Can Fit a Gout Diet
Here are some wild caught seafood and wild fish options that can fit a gout diet, and where they actually fall on the purine scale:
1) Salmon: Salmon has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids and not many purines. It is an excellent choice for people with gout who want to eat more fish. Both wild Alaskan king salmon and wild Alaskan sockeye salmon are considered to be low in purines and can be safely consumed by people struggling with gout as part of a balanced diet.
Wild Alaskan King Salmon: 67 mg purines per 3.5 oz
Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon: 63 mg purines per 3.5 oz
These values are relatively low compared to other high-purine foods like red meat and organ meats, which can contain several hundred milligrams of purines per 3.5 oz.
2) Canned Tuna: Some kinds of tuna are high in purines, but skipjack and albacore tuna are considered low to moderate in purines and safe for people with gout to eat. Tuna is also a good way to get omega-3 fatty acids and protein. The purine content of canned albacore tuna can vary depending on the specific product and brand. Generally speaking, canned albacore tuna is considered to be a moderate-purine food, similar to fresh albacore tuna.
Canned Albacore Tuna: 84 mg purines per 3.5 oz
This is slightly lower than the purine content of fresh albacore tuna, which is approximately 90 mg purines per 3.5 oz. Some canned tuna products may contain added ingredients, such as oils or flavorings, that could increase the purine content.
Additionally, some types of canned tuna, such as those labeled as "light" tuna, may contain different species of tuna that could have varying purine contents.
3) Shrimp: While most shellfish are high in purines, shrimp has a low amount of purines, so people with gout can eat it in moderation. Shrimp is also a good source of protein and other essential nutrients. Wild Alaskan shrimp, including spot prawns, are generally considered to be low in purines and can be safely consumed as part of a gout-friendly diet.
Wild Alaskan Spot Prawns (cooked): 93 mg purines per 3.5 oz
While this is slightly higher than some other types of seafood like salmon, it is still considered to be a relatively low-purine food compared to red meat, organ meats, and some types of seafood like anchovies and sardines. By staying away from high-purine foods and eating more low-purine foods like salmon, tuna, and shrimp, you can help reduce the number and severity of gout attacks.
2026 Update: What the Research Really Says About Shrimp and Purines
This update addresses common concerns raised in the comments and reflects current research as of 2026.
A lot of the comments here are worried that shrimp is on this list. Let me explain why it is.
I co-founded Premier Catch, and I'm a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. I have an obvious stake in seafood, so let me be clear that what follows is evidence-based nutrition rather than marketing. Not all shrimp are the same - processing, storage, and even which part of the shrimp you eat change the purine content.
Purines also aren't one single thing. They're a group of compounds: adenine, guanine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, even caffeine and theobromine. That matters, because two things determine risk rather than one. The first is how much total purine a food contains. The second is which purine bases make it up. Foods above 200 mg per 100 g, especially those high in hypoxanthine, are the ones considered high risk for hyperuricemia.
Japanese researchers, in a country that eats a great deal of seafood, measured 270 common foods and sorted them into five bands: very low (under 50 mg/100 g) through very high (over 300 mg/100 g).¹ Work through their tables and you'll find most fish and shellfish don't land in the top two bands. For scale, 100 grams is roughly a 3.5-ounce protein portion.
Shout out to Chris C in the comments, who found this research on their own.
In the end, you know your body better than anyone does. But I'd challenge you to think of food as more complex chemistry than a single good-or-bad list - because it may mean you can eat more of these foods than you think, even with gout.
A Note on High Purine Vegetables
There are some vegetables that have high purine content, but vegetables with high purines have not shown to have any significant effect on gout. It is recommended to continue eating all vegetables, including the high purine ones, since avoiding them has no significant effect on flare ups.
Key Takeaways for Eating with Gout
- Gout is influenced by total purine intake and uric acid metabolism, not by individual foods in isolation
- Not all seafood is high in purines, and many wild-caught fish and shellfish can fit into a gout-friendly diet
- Salmon, certain types of tuna, and shrimp are lower in purines than commonly assumed when eaten in appropriate portions
- Both the amount and the type of purines matter, not just whether a food contains them
- Individual tolerance varies, and long-term success usually comes from informed moderation rather than complete avoidance
Lower-purine options we carry:
Wild Alaskan King Salmon · Wild Pacific Halibut · Wild Alaska Cod
This article is general nutrition information, not individual medical advice. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about your own situation.
References
- Kaneko, K., Aoyagi, Y., Fukuuchi, T., Inazawa, K., & Yamaoka, N. (2014). Total purine and purine base content of common foodstuffs for facilitating nutritional therapy for gout and hyperuricemia. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 37(5), 709–721. https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.b13-00967
- Choi, H. K., Atkinson, K., Karlson, E. W., Willett, W., & Curhan, G. (2004). Purine-rich foods, dairy and protein intake, and the risk of gout in men. The New England Journal of Medicine, 350(11), 1093–1103. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa035700