Purine content of Crab
across 11 measured preparations · median 147 mg · spans fairly high to high
Across the 11 crab measurements in this database, purine content runs from 99.5 to 182 mg per 100 g, with a median of 147 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. River crab roe (cooked) measures 182 mg, while Crab, red king, raw measures 99.5 mg — a difference of 83 mg. Drying and grilling remove water and concentrate what is left; boiling can move purines into water that is then poured away.
Every form of crab measured (11)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| River crab roe (cooked) | 182 mg | High | NHC 2024 |
| River crab roe (raw) | 180 mg | High | NHC 2024 |
| River crab meat (raw) | 167 mg | High | NHC 2024 |
| Crab ovary, raw | 152.4 mg | High | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Crab, blue, lump, pasteurized | 147.7 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| River crab | 147 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
| River crab meat (cooked) | 144 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
| Winter crab (cooked) | 137 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
| Crab, snow, raw | 136.5 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Chinese mitten crab | 121 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
| Crab, red king, raw | 99.5 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about crab and purines
Is crab high in purines?
Median 147 mg per 100 g, crab 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 99.5 to 182 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of crab?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 149 mg for crab, red king, raw, about 273 mg for river crab roe (cooked). 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 crab?
Substantially. In this database River crab roe (cooked) measures 182 mg while Crab, red king, raw measures 99.5 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this crab purine value come from?
Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition) and USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025). Values are total purines in milligrams per 100 g of the food as described, and nothing is estimated or averaged across sources.
How does crab 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. Crab is above that median.
Source
- Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition) — National Health Commission of China, appendix 1. Issued February 2024.
- USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) — Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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.