Seafood
Fish, mackerel, baked or broiled
How fish, mackerel, baked or broiled scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Fish, mackerel, baked or broiledCaution
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -47 |
| Saturated Fat | -8.4 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -6 |
| Sodium | -5.2 |
| Calorie Density | -4.5 |
| Omega-3 (EPA+DHA) | +4 |
| 3 smaller factors | -0.1 |
| Final score | 33 |
Fish, mackerel, baked or broiled scores 33 out of 100 and sits in the caution band. Ranks toward the higher-risk end. Many people choose to keep portions smaller and less frequent.
Penalties took 72.7 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 5.5 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 Fat14.3 g
- Saturated Fat4.0 g
- Sodium322 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0.01 g
- Protein24.9 g
- Calcium29 mg
- Iron1.4 mg
- Magnesium35 mg
- Vitamin C2 mg
- Folate2 ug
- Water57.8 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0.63 g
- Omega-3 DHA1.2 g
Common portions
- 1 small/regular fillettypical140 g
- 1 large fillet210 g
- 1 steak210 g
- 1 cup135 g
- 1 oz yields20 g
- 1 cubic inch17 g
- Quantity not specified140 g
Where the purine figure comes from
The purine content of this food has been measured directly in published laboratory studies, so the score uses that measured figure.
We rate this a high 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.
- -47Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
194 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1.25x as a seafood source and 1.4x for the typical portion: 340 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -8.4Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
3.98 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- -6Long-term
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
- -5.2Long-term
SodiumLong-term
322 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -4.5Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
237 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- +4Flare risk
Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk
1.790 g of EPA and DHA omega-3 per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion. Omega-3 is linked to fewer recurrent flares.
Evidence: Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -1.6Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
1.45 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 40% is heme iron in seafood foods, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
- +1.2Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
35 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- +0.3Long-term
Vitamin CLong-term
2 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion. Vitamin C helps the kidneys excrete urate.
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2011, Arthritis Care Res
Common questions
About fish, mackerel, baked or broiled
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.