Purine content of Sardines
across 6 measured preparations · median 325.2 mg · spans fairly high to extremely high
Across the 6 sardines measurements in this database, purine content runs from 82 to 746 mg per 100 g, with a median of 325.2 mg — a extremely 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. Sardine, baby, dried measures 746 mg, while Sardine measures 82 mg — a difference of 9.1 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 sardines measured (6)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sardine, baby, dried | 746 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Sardine, canned | 399 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Sardine, raw | 345 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Sardine, half-dried | 305.3 mg | Extremely high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Sardine, fermented (Heshiko) | 116.3 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Sardine | 82 mg | Fairly high | NHC 2024 |
Questions about sardines and purines
Is sardines high in purines?
Median 325.2 mg per 100 g, sardines falls in the extremely high band (over 300 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 82 to 746 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of sardines?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 123 mg for sardine, about 1119 mg for sardine, baby, dried. 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 sardines?
Substantially. In this database Sardine, baby, dried measures 746 mg while Sardine measures 82 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this sardines 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 sardines 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. Sardines 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.