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Seafood and gout

Seafood raises gout risk more than any other purine source: relative risk 1.51 per serving in Choi 2004, with shellfish worse than finfish. It is not one block, though. Scores in the database run from the low 20s for anchovy to the high 60s for lean white fish, and fatty fish carry omega-3 benefits that offset part of their purine load.

Lean white fish sit near the top of the seafood range. Sardines, herring, mackerel and anchovy carry measured purine loads well above the category average and sit near the bottom.

Best scores

Worst scores

Shrimp, mussels, scallops, clams and crab. Shellfish carry an extra evidence-based penalty in the score because studies found them riskier than finfish, so most land in the caution band.

Best scores

Worst scores

Population-average gout-friendliness. General information, not personal medical advice.

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