Seafood
Raw salmon
USDA description: Fish, salmon, raw
How raw salmon scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Raw salmonModerate
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -36.1 |
| Saturated Fat | -5 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -4 |
| Omega-3 (EPA+DHA) | +4 |
| Calorie Density | -3.1 |
| Sodium | -1 |
| 4 smaller factors | +1.2 |
| Final score | 56 |
Raw salmon scores 56 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 49.6 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 5.6 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 Fat11.2 g
- Saturated Fat2.5 g
- Sodium63 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein20.4 g
- Calcium8 mg
- Iron0.35 mg
- Magnesium27 mg
- Vitamin C2.9 mg
- Folate20 ug
- Water67.5 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0.69 g
- Omega-3 DHA0.91 g
Common portions
- 1 cuptypical135 g
- Quantity not specified85 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 (fish).
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.
- -36.1Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
150 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1.25x as a seafood source and 1.4x for the typical portion: 253 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -5Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
2.49 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
- -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
- +4Flare risk
Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk
1.600 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
- -3.1Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
188 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- -1Long-term
SodiumLong-term
63 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- +0.9Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
27 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- -0.4Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
0.35 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
- +0.4Long-term
Vitamin CLong-term
2.9 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
- +0.3Long-term
FolateLong-term
20 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Common questions
About raw salmon
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.