Purine content of Cod
across 5 measured preparations · median 110.3 mg · spans fairly low to extremely high
Across the 5 cod measurements in this database, purine content runs from 71 to 559.9 mg per 100 g, with a median of 110.3 mg — a fairly high-purine food.
Avoid or strictly limit — significant gout flare risk.
On this page (5)
Lower-purine seafood
Why the numbers vary
The seafood measured here run from 7.7 mg to 1399.7 mg per 100 g, so the category is a poor guide on its own — which specific food, and prepared how, decides almost everything.
Preparation matters more than the food's name. Milt, cod measures 559.9 mg, while Cod measures 71 mg — a difference of 7.9 times. Drying and grilling remove water and concentrate what is left; boiling can move purines into water that is then poured away.
Every form of cod measured (5)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milt, cod | 559.9 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cod | 230 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Cod, Atlantic, wild, raw | 110.3 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cod, fresh | 97.9 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Cod | 71 mg | Fairly low | NHC 2024 |
Questions about cod and purines
Is cod high in purines?
Median 110.3 mg per 100 g, cod falls in the fairly high band (75–150 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 71 to 559.9 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of cod?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 107 mg for cod, about 840 mg for milt, cod. 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.
Does cooking change the purine content of cod?
Substantially. In this database Milt, cod measures 559.9 mg while Cod measures 71 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this cod 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 cod compare with other seafood?
The median for seafood in this database is 136 mg per 100 g, with a range of 7.7 to 1399.7 mg. Cod is below 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.