Seafood
Shrimp, steamed or boiled
How shrimp, steamed or boiled scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Shrimp, steamed or boiledModerate
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -34.9 |
| Category: Shellfish | -15 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -4 |
| Sodium | -2.8 |
| Omega-3 (EPA+DHA) | +1.4 |
| Magnesium | +0.7 |
| 4 smaller factors | -0.8 |
| Final score | 45 |
Shrimp, steamed or boiled scores 45 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 57.7 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 2.3 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 Fat1.3 g
- Saturated Fat0.33 g
- Sodium248 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein17.2 g
- Calcium68 mg
- Iron0.26 mg
- Magnesium28 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate18 ug
- Water78.3 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0.09 g
- Omega-3 DHA0.09 g
Common portions
- 1 tiny shrimp5 g
- 1 small/medium shrimp10 g
- 1 large/jumbo shrimptypical15 g
- 1 prawn20 g
- 1 cup135 g
- Quantity not specified85 g
Where the purine figure comes from
The purine content of this food has been measured directly in published laboratory studies, so the score uses that measured figure.
We rate this a high 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.
- -34.9Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
195 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1.25x as a seafood source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 244 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
- -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
- -2.8Long-term
SodiumLong-term
248 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- +1.4Flare risk
Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk
0.180 g of EPA and DHA omega-3 per 100 g, with no portion adjustment. Omega-3 is linked to fewer recurrent flares.
Evidence: Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- +0.7Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
28 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- -0.5Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
0.33 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- -0.3Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
90 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- -0.2Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
0.26 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 40% is heme iron in seafood foods, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
- +0.2Long-term
FolateLong-term
18 µg of folate per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Common questions
About shrimp, steamed or boiled
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.