Purine content of Tea
across 4 measured preparations · median 1.4 mg · spans low to very high
Across the 4 tea measurements in this database, purine content runs from 1 to 204.3 mg per 100 ml, with a median of 1.4 mg — a low-purine food.
On this page (4)
Why the numbers vary
The non-alcoholic drinks measured here run from 1 mg to 1.6 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. Green tea leaves, dried measures 204.3 mg, while Iced black tea measures 1 mg — a difference of 204.3 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 tea measured (4)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green tea leaves, dried | 204.3 mg | Very high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Green tea beverage | 1.7 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Green tea | 1 mg | Low | NHC 2024 |
| Iced black tea | 1 mg | Low | NHC 2024 |
Questions about tea and purines
Is tea high in purines?
Median 1.4 mg per 100 ml, tea falls in the low band (under 30 mg per 100 ml) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 1 to 204.3 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of tea?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 330 ml: about 3 mg for iced black tea, about 674 mg for green tea leaves, 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 ml value is the fairer read. The table on this page lists both for every preparation measured.
Does cooking change the purine content of tea?
Substantially. In this database Green tea leaves, dried measures 204.3 mg while Iced black tea measures 1 mg per 100 ml. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this tea 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 ml of the food as described, and nothing is estimated or averaged across sources.
How does tea compare with other non-alcoholic drinks?
The median for non-alcoholic drinks in this database is 1.2 mg per 100 ml, with a range of 1 to 1.6 mg. Tea 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.