Purine content of Mackerel
across 10 measured preparations · median 230 mg · spans high to extremely high
Across the 10 mackerel measurements in this database, purine content runs from 161.9 to 1175 mg per 100 g, with a median of 230 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. Mackerel, Japanese, skin, raw measures 1175 mg, while Mackerel, Spanish, raw measures 161.9 mg — a difference of 7.3 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 mackerel measured (10)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackerel, Japanese, skin, raw | 1175 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Mackerel (grilled) | 452 mg | Extremely high | NHC 2024 |
| Mackerel | 298 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Mackerel, canned | 246 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Mackerel, jack, half-dried | 245.9 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Spanish mackerel | 214 mg | Very high | NHC 2024 |
| Mackerel, fermented (Heshiko) | 207 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Mackerel, raw (unspecified) | 194 mg | High | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Deep-sea mackerel (in sauce) | 179 mg | High | NHC 2024 |
| Mackerel, Spanish, raw | 161.9 mg | High | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about mackerel and purines
Is mackerel high in purines?
Median 230 mg per 100 g, mackerel 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 161.9 to 1175 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of mackerel?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 243 mg for mackerel, spanish, raw, about 1763 mg for mackerel, japanese, skin, raw. 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 mackerel?
Substantially. In this database Mackerel, Japanese, skin, raw measures 1175 mg while Mackerel, Spanish, raw measures 161.9 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this mackerel 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 mackerel 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. Mackerel 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.