Purine content of Cheese
Across the 10 cheese measurements in this database, purine content runs from 0.7 to 13 mg per 100 g, with a median of 8 mg — a low-purine food.
On this page (4)
Why the numbers vary
The dairy and eggs measured here run from 0.1 mg to 8 mg per 100 g, so the category is a poor guide on its own — which specific food, and prepared how, decides almost everything.
All 10 measurements land within 12 mg of each other, so preparation makes little practical difference here — unusual, and convenient.
Every form of cheese measured (10)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheese, grated | 13 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, Provolone | 12.6 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, Monterey Jack | 9.1 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, queso cotija | 8.6 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, cottage | 8 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, queso Oaxaca | 7.9 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, American | 7 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese | 2 mg | Low | NHC 2024 |
| Cheese, processed (unspecified) | 2 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cheese, queso fresco | 0.7 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about cheese and purines
Is cheese high in purines?
Median 8 mg per 100 g, cheese falls in the low band (under 30 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 0.7 to 13 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of cheese?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 1 mg for cheese, queso fresco, about 20 mg for cheese, grated. That upper figure is a like-for-like comparison rather than a serving — dried and concentrated foods are normally used by the spoonful, so their per-100 g value is the fairer read. The table on this page lists both for every preparation measured.
Where does this cheese purine value come from?
USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) and Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition). Values are total purines in milligrams per 100 g of the food as described, and nothing is estimated or averaged across sources.
How does cheese compare with other dairy and eggs?
The median for dairy and eggs in this database is 0.8 mg per 100 g, with a range of 0.1 to 8 mg. Cheese is above that median.
Source
- USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) — Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition) — National Health Commission of China, appendix 1. Issued February 2024.
Reference information only. Purine values describe foods, not people: they cannot tell you what is safe for you to eat, and nothing here diagnoses or treats gout. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about your own diet and medication.