Animal / meat
Sweetbreads
How sweetbreads scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
SweetbreadsAvoid
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -42 |
| Category: Organ meats | -30 |
| Sodium | -4.2 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -4 |
| Vitamin C | +3.9 |
| Heme Iron | -1.5 |
| 4 smaller factors | -1.9 |
| Final score | 20 |
Sweetbreads scores 20 out of 100 and sits in the avoid band. Among the highest-risk foods in the database, with the strongest evidence linking it to gout risk.
Penalties took 84.4 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 4.7 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 Fat3.1 g
- Saturated Fat0.94 g
- Sodium366 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein22.5 g
- Calcium4 mg
- Iron1.2 mg
- Magnesium24 mg
- Vitamin C39.1 mg
- Folate20 ug
- Water73.0 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 pair190 g
- 1 oz yieldstypical20 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 (liver and organ meats).
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.
- -42Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
300 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 300 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -30Flare + long-term
Category: Organ meatsFlare + long-term
Extremely high purine content (300-600 mg/100g), all clinical guidelines advise avoidance.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Choi HK 2008, BMJ · Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -4.2Long-term
SodiumLong-term
366 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -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
- +3.9Long-term
Vitamin CLong-term
39.1 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, with no portion adjustment. Vitamin C helps the kidneys excrete urate.
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2011, Arthritis Care Res
- -1.5Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
1.23 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
- -1.4Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
0.94 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- -1.3Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
124 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- +0.6Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
24 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- +0.2Long-term
FolateLong-term
20 µg of folate per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Common questions
About sweetbreads
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.