Purine content of Turkey
Across the 2 turkey measurements in this database, purine content runs from 79.1 to 96 mg per 100 g, with a median of 87.6 mg — a fairly 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.
All 2 measurements land within 17 mg of each other, so preparation makes little practical difference here — unusual, and convenient.
Every form of turkey measured (2)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey, ground, raw | 96 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Turkey, mechanically deboned, from turkey frames, raw | 79.1 mg | Fairly high | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
Questions about turkey and purines
Is turkey high in purines?
Median 87.6 mg per 100 g, turkey falls in the fairly high band (75–150 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 79.1 to 96 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of turkey?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 119 mg for turkey, mechanically deboned, from turkey frames, raw, about 144 mg for turkey, ground, 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.
Where does this turkey 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 turkey 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. Turkey is below 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.