Animal / meat
Bacon bits
How bacon bits scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Bacon bitsModerate
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -17.4 |
| Calorie Density | -10 |
| Sodium | -8 |
| Saturated Fat | -6.1 |
| Fiber | +5 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -4 |
| 4 smaller factors | +2.6 |
| Final score | 62 |
Bacon bits scores 62 out of 100 and sits in the moderate band. Middle of the range. Portion size and how often you eat it matter more here.
Penalties took 46.4 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 8.5 back. Every factor is listed in full below.
Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.
The underlying data
Nutrition and portions
Nutrition Facts
- Total Fat25.9 g
- Saturated Fat4.1 g
- Sodium1770 mg
- Dietary Fiber10.2 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein32 g
- Calcium101 mg
- Iron0.72 mg
- Magnesium95 mg
- Vitamin C1.9 mg
- Folate127 ug
- Water8 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 tablespoontypical7 g
- Quantity not specified4 g
Where the purine figure comes from
No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (bacon).
We rate this a good confidence estimate.
How purines affect the score →Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.
Scoring rationale
Every factor, in full
Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.
- -17.4Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
125 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 125 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -10Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
476 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- -8Long-term
SodiumLong-term
1770 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -6.1Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
4.06 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- +5Long-term
FiberLong-term
10.2 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -4Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 3 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- +2Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
95 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- +1.3Long-term
FolateLong-term
127 µg of folate per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
- -0.9Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
0.72 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 60% is heme iron in animal foods, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
- +0.2Long-term
Vitamin CLong-term
1.9 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, with no portion adjustment. Vitamin C helps the kidneys excrete urate.
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2011, Arthritis Care Res
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Common questions
About bacon bits
Look up any food's Food Index score
Each score lists the factors that moved it, the portion it assumes, and the studies behind each factor's weight.