Purine content of Liver
across 16 measured preparations · median 247 mg · spans fairly high to extremely high
Across the 16 liver measurements in this database, purine content runs from 80 to 398.7 mg per 100 g, with a median of 247 mg — a very high-purine food.
Avoid or strictly limit — significant gout flare risk.
On this page (5)
Lower-purine meats
Why the numbers vary
The meats measured here run from 49.9 mg to 252 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. Monkfish liver, steamed measures 398.7 mg, while Pate, liver measures 80 mg — a difference of 5.0 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 liver measured (16)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monkfish liver, steamed | 398.7 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Duck liver (cooked) | 398 mg | Extremely high | NHC 2024 |
| Goose liver | 377 mg | Extremely high | NHC 2024 |
| Chicken liver | 317 mg | Extremely high | NHC 2024 |
| Pork, liver, raw | 289 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Pork liver | 275 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Turbot liver, raw | 264.3 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Beef liver | 251 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Chicken liver, raw | 243 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Lamb liver | 228 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Lamb liver (cooked) | 227 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Seabass, Japanese, liver, raw | 217.7 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Beef liver, raw | 197 mg | High | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Fish liver | 185 mg | High | NHC 2024 |
| Monkfish liver, raw | 104.2 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Pate, liver | 80 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about liver and purines
Is liver high in purines?
Median 247 mg per 100 g, liver 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 80 to 398.7 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of liver?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 120 mg for pate, liver, about 598 mg for monkfish liver, steamed. 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 liver?
Substantially. In this database Monkfish liver, steamed measures 398.7 mg while Pate, liver measures 80 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this liver 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 liver compare with other meats?
The median for meats in this database is 121.2 mg per 100 g, with a range of 49.9 to 252 mg. Liver 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.