Purine content of Eel
Across the 4 eel measurements in this database, purine content runs from 92.1 to 127 mg per 100 g, with a median of 106.2 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. Rice-field eel measures 127 mg, while Eel, Japanese, raw measures 92.1 mg — a difference of 35 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 eel measured (4)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice-field eel | 127 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
| Eel | 117 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
| Conger eel, fresh | 95.4 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Eel, Japanese, raw | 92.1 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about eel and purines
Is eel high in purines?
Median 106.2 mg per 100 g, eel 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 92.1 to 127 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of eel?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 138 mg for eel, japanese, raw, about 191 mg for rice-field eel. 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 eel?
Substantially. In this database Rice-field eel measures 127 mg while Eel, Japanese, raw measures 92.1 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this eel 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 eel 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. Eel is below 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.