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Seafood

Smoked salmon

USDA description: Fish, salmon, smoked

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

Food Index score

Smoked salmonModerate

51/ 100
0100
Based on a well-supported purine estimate
What moved this score
Starting score100
Purine Load-36.1
Sodium-8
Nutrient Gaps-6
Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)+4
Saturated Fat-1.9
Calorie Density-1.1
2 smaller factors-0.3
Final score51
Flare risk (acute)68
Long-term (chronic)83

Smoked salmon scores 51 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 54 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 4.6 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

Amounts per 100 g
Typical serving135 g
Calories117
  • Total Fat4.3 g
  • Saturated Fat0.93 g
  • Sodium672 mg
  • Dietary Fiber0 g
  • Total Sugars0 g
  • Protein18.3 g
  • Calcium11 mg
  • Iron0.85 mg
  • Magnesium18 mg
  • Vitamin C0 mg
  • Folate2 ug
  • Water72 g
  • Alcohol0 g
  • Omega-3 EPA0.18 g
  • Omega-3 DHA0.27 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.

PointsFactor
  • -36.1

    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

  • -8

    SodiumLong-term

    672 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.

    Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res

  • -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

  • +4

    Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk

    0.450 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

  • -1.9

    Saturated FatLong-term

    0.93 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

  • -1.1

    Calorie DensityLong-term

    117 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.

    Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr

  • -0.9

    Heme IronLong-term

    0.85 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

  • +0.6

    MagnesiumLong-term

    18 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.4x for the typical portion.

    Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ

Common questions

About smoked 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.

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