Is shrimp bad for gout?

Shrimp sits in the middle of the seafood the US samples measured. Anchovies and sardines carry the most, salmon reads 250 to 260 mg per 100 g, and cod 110 mg.

Fish is not automatically the lighter choice. Michael Greger says that “gram per gram fish may actually be worse in terms of uric acid production.” Cloche reads the purines in the portion you ate, whatever the food’s reputation.

Cloche reads 340 mg in 6 oz of shrimp and 341 mg in an 8 oz steak. A grilled salmon fillet reads more than either, at 510 mg, and a plate of pad thai 395 mg.

Estimates for a typical portion, with purines from the USDA and NIH purine tables (March 2025 release). Recipes and portions vary.

The body breaks purines down into uric acid, and meat, fish and organ meats carry the most. Half the plate, 3 oz of shrimp, reads about 170 mg, under the 200 mg the demo uses for one meal.

The American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 gout guideline recommends limiting purines without setting a number. Japan’s gout guidance sets 400 mg a day, which the demo uses for the day. They are sample amounts for reading a plate, not your target.

Cloche’s sodium figure comes from USDA’s sample of cooked shrimp, which notes it may contain additives that keep the shrimp moist. A 6 oz grilled chicken breast reads 126 mg and a grilled salmon fillet 95 mg. If your doctor watches your blood pressure too, the free sodium calculator reads any meal you type.

Gout diets build the plate around vegetables, with eggs or dairy for protein and seafood or meat as a side rather than the whole plate. Water or coffee to drink, and fruit whole rather than juiced. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases names alcohol, sweet drinks and purine-rich food as the three to limit.

The drink counts. Beer adds purines from the yeast on top of its alcohol. The alcohol slows how fast the kidneys clear uric acid, and Cloche counts both.