What does a score of 59 mean?

59 out of 100 places meat 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 piece/slice, any size (30 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 meat 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.

Animal / meat

Meat

USDA description: Meat, NFS

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

Food Index score

MeatModerate

0100

Based on a well-supported purine estimate

What moved this score
Starting score	100
Purine Load	-16.6
Nutrient Gaps	-8
Saturated Fat	-6.5
Sodium	-4.1
Calorie Density	-3.9
Heme Iron	-2.3
1 smaller factor	+0.6
Final score	59

Flare risk (acute)83

Long-term (chronic)76

Meat scores 59 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 41.4 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.6 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.

Compare with another foodMore beef, excludes ground How scoring works

The underlying data

Nutrition and portions

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per 100 g

Typical serving30 g

Calories215

Total Fat11.3 g
Saturated Fat4.3 g
Sodium363 mg
Dietary Fiber0 g
Total Sugars0 g
Protein27.1 g

Calcium15 mg
Iron1.9 mg
Magnesium22 mg
Vitamin C0 mg
Folate4 ug

Water60.0 g
Alcohol0 g
Omega-3 EPA0 g
Omega-3 DHA0 g

Common portions

1 piece/slice, any sizetypical30 g
1 oz yields20 g
1 cubic inch17 g
1 cup135 g
Quantity not specified60 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

-16.6
Purine LoadFlare risk
120 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 120 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
Flare risk
-8
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 1 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
-6.5
Saturated FatLong-term
4.35 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
Long-term
-4.1
SodiumLong-term
363 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
Long-term
-3.9
Calorie DensityLong-term
215 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
Long-term
-2.3
Heme IronLong-term
1.91 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
Long-term
+0.6
MagnesiumLong-term
22 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
Long-term

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