Purines are nucleotide bases found in plant and animal cells. Purines comprise adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine. They make up important components of the genetic materials, DNA and RNA, and energy molecules such as ATP, GTP and coenzyme A. Therefore, purines are essential constituents of life.

Purine Rich Diet and Gout

In the body, purines are metabolized to uric acid, for instance when cells die. Purines are among the factors that are causes of elevated uric acid in the blood. With the consumption of high purine foods, serum uric acid may rise above the normal level. Even though uric acid acts as an antioxidant and has a free-radical scavenging effect, when it accumulates to a high level in the blood it can cause gout and other health problems. Gout is a form of arthritis caused by the accumulation of uric acid in joints, especially in the big toe.

In a 12-year study that followed eating habits and gout incidence in large number of men it was found that eating food rich in purine, such as meat and seafood, was associated with high risk of gout, whereas a higher level of consumption of dairy products was associated with a reduced risk. Moderate intake of purine-rich vegetables or protein was not associated with an elevated risk of gout.

Food High or Low in Purines

In the following table are estimates of purine content in a variety of food items. Purine rich foods are on the top of the table. Meat and meat products appear to have high total purine content, where as cereal foods contain low purine content. Generally, there seems to exist a positive association between protein and purine content in diet.

Table 1: High or low purine food sources

Table 2: Purine content in meat organs, seafoods (fresh and canned), and vegetables (legumes).

According to a study that compared free and total purine bases content in meat products (steak, beef liver and haddock fillets) before and after cooking, cooking appears to increase the level of free and total purine bases in a diet. Total purine content is based on the sum of all the four purine bases.

Table 3: Purine content in raw and cooked foods.

Table 4: Purine content in chicken parts (listed high to low).

Alcohol drinks also contain purines. There is strong association between high consumption of alcoholic drinks and uric acid levels in the blood, and consequently gout. Below are estimates of purine content in alcoholic drinks analysed by British researchers.

Table 5: Purine content in alcoholic drinks (beer).

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