Seafood
Canned oysters
USDA description: Oysters, canned
How canned oysters scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Canned oystersModerate
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -35.9 |
| Category: Shellfish | -15 |
| Heme Iron | -5 |
| Omega-3 (EPA+DHA) | +4 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -2 |
| Magnesium | +1.7 |
| 4 smaller factors | -2.1 |
| Final score | 46 |
Canned oysters scores 46 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 60.7 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 6.4 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 Fat2.7 g
- Saturated Fat0.69 g
- Sodium122 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein7.7 g
- Calcium49 mg
- Iron7.3 mg
- Magnesium59 mg
- Vitamin C5.4 mg
- Folate10 ug
- Water83.8 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0.23 g
- Omega-3 DHA0.25 g
Common portions
- 1 oyster15 g
- 1 cup225 g
- 1 small can75 g
- 1 standard cantypical115 g
- 1 large can255 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 (shellfish).
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.
- -35.9Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
175 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1.25x as a seafood source and 1.1x for the typical portion: 252 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -15Flare risk
Category: ShellfishFlare risk
High purine seafood with RR 1.51 (Choi 2004); worse than finfish.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Choi HK 2008, BMJ · Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -5Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
7.28 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 40% is heme iron in seafood foods, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
- +4Flare risk
Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk
0.480 g of EPA and DHA omega-3 per 100 g, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion. Omega-3 is linked to fewer recurrent flares.
Evidence: Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -2Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 4 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
- +1.7Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
59 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- -1.6Long-term
SodiumLong-term
122 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -1.2Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
0.69 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- +0.6Long-term
Vitamin CLong-term
5.4 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion. Vitamin C helps the kidneys excrete urate.
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2011, Arthritis Care Res
- +0.1Long-term
FolateLong-term
10 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 1.1x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Common questions
About canned oysters
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.