Purine content of Herring
across 2 measured preparations · median 258.6 mg · spans fairly high to extremely high
Across the 2 herring measurements in this database, purine content runs from 139.2 to 378 mg per 100 g, with a median of 258.6 mg — a very 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. Herring, canned measures 378 mg, while Herring, raw measures 139.2 mg — a difference of 2.7 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 herring measured (2)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herring, canned | 378 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Herring, raw | 139.2 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about herring and purines
Is herring high in purines?
Median 258.6 mg per 100 g, herring falls in the very high band (200–300 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 139.2 to 378 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of herring?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 209 mg for herring, raw, about 567 mg for herring, canned. 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 herring?
Substantially. In this database Herring, canned measures 378 mg while Herring, raw measures 139.2 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this herring purine value come from?
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 herring 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. Herring 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.
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.