What does a score of 52 mean?

52 out of 100 places steak beef in the "moderate" band. Middle of the range. Portion size and how often you eat it matter more here. Scores rank foods against each other on average across a population. They are not a personal risk level.

What portion is the score based on?

Nutrition figures are given per 100 g, and the scoring applies a serving-size adjustment based on this food's typical portion: 1 thin (120 g). Eating substantially more or less than that shifts the real-world effect accordingly.

How confident is this score?

Based on the measured median for this food category. Because the purine figure is estimated rather than directly measured, read this score as approximate.

Can I eat steak beef if I have gout?

That is a question for you and your clinician. This page ranks foods on published population-average evidence; it does not account for your urate level, kidney function, medications or overall eating pattern.

How does this compare with other beef entries?

The database holds 39 beef variants and this one is 22nd of 39, scoring 52. They range from 24 (beef, steak, t-bone, lean and fat eaten) up to 66 (beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat, reduced sodium), so preparation matters more here than the ingredient does — a 42-point spread within the same food.

Animal / meat

Steak beef

USDA description: Beef, steak, NFS

How steak beef scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.

Food Index score

Steak beefModerate

0100

Based on a well-supported purine estimate

What moved this score
Starting score	100
Purine Load	-20.4
Saturated Fat	-9.5
Nutrient Gaps	-6
Sodium	-5.1
Calorie Density	-4.3
Heme Iron	-3.8
2 smaller factors	+0.7
Final score	52

Flare risk (acute)80

Long-term (chronic)72

Steak beef scores 52 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 49.1 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.7 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.

Compare with another foodMore beef, excludes ground How scoring works

The underlying data

Nutrition and portions

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per 100 g

Typical serving120 g

Calories229

Total Fat12.9 g
Saturated Fat5.3 g
Sodium369 mg
Dietary Fiber0 g
Total Sugars0 g
Protein27 g

Calcium16 mg
Iron2.6 mg
Magnesium21 mg
Vitamin C0 mg
Folate6 ug

Water58.9 g
Alcohol0 g
Omega-3 EPA0 g
Omega-3 DHA0 g

Common portions

1 piece/slice, any size30 g
1 thintypical120 g
1 regular160 g
1 thick240 g
1 oz yields20 g
1 cubic inch17 g
1 cup135 g
Quantity not specified160 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 (beef, excludes ground).

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.

PointsFactorAffects

-20.4
Purine LoadFlare risk
120 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.2x for the typical portion: 144 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
Flare risk
-9.5
Saturated FatLong-term
5.29 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
Long-term
-6
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 2 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
Long-term
-5.1
SodiumLong-term
369 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
Long-term
-4.3
Calorie DensityLong-term
229 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
Long-term
-3.8
Heme IronLong-term
2.64 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 60% is heme iron in animal foods, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
Long-term
+0.6
MagnesiumLong-term
21 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
Long-term
+0.1
FolateLong-term
6 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Long-term

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