Arthritis Gout Pork and Gout: What to Eat, What to Avoid Nutritional value and purine content in pork By Michelle Pugle Michelle Pugle Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Michelle Pugle is an expert health writer with nearly a decade of experience contributing accurate and accessible health information to authority publications. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 04, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Scott Zashin, MD Medically reviewed by Scott Zashin, MD LinkedIn Scott J. Zashin, MD, specializes in the treatment of rheumatologic and musculoskeletal conditions using both traditional and alternative therapies. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Higher consumption of pork, other kinds of red meat, and organ meats (including liver, sweetbreads, tongue, and kidney) increases the risk of recurrent gout attacks. Even though it's a red meat, pork is often referred to as “the other white meat” because it is a source of lean protein like poultry. Pork contains a moderately high amount of purines, which can contribute to joint pain in gouts. What Causes Gout? Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by excess uric acid (hyperuricemia) in the blood, which can be caused by consuming high-purine food sources and the slowing of the kidneys excretion process. Uric acid is produced as the body breaks down purines. Excess amounts of uric acid in the body can lead to the formation of needle-like crystals between joints and result in joint pain. Foods That Increase Uric Acid Knowing the difference between different cuts of pork and cooking methods, as well as the recommended daily amounts of pork protein for people with gout, is important to maintaining a low-purine diet. Pork can be part of a healthy gout diet as long as you follow some general guidelines on how much to eat and how to cook it. Capelle.r / Getty Images Nutritional Value of Pork Pork is an excellent source of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and phosphorus. It also contains zinc and potassium. Loin cuts like pork tenderloin, sirloin pork chop, and sirloin pork roast are all excellent sources of lean protein. These cuts can be part of a healthy gout diet. Lean protein is also a good choice for people looking to lose or maintain weight for gout-related health reasons. What to Eat When You Have Gout But pork can also be a significant source of unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol. This is particularly true of fattier and highly processed cuts like pork belly, ribs, and sausages. Consuming these cuts makes it easy to exceed The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended daily intake of saturated fat (13 g). Processed meats are also known human carcinogens. Pork is also a calorie-dense choice that can make maintaining a healthy weight challenging without proper portion control. Excess weight and obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for gout and gout attacks. Pork: Nutrition Facts According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a 1 ounce (28.35 g) serving of pork contains the following information. Keep in mind commercially packaged pork typically comes in 6 to 8 ounce cuts. Calories: 86Protein: 4.26 gFat: 7.25 gCarbohydrate: 0 gSugar: 0 gFiber: 0 gCalcium: 89.3 mgIron: 1.2 mgMagnesium: 4.54 mgPhosphorous: 56.7 mgPotassium: 84.5 mgSodium: 14.2 mg Best Cuts Nutrition, calories, and purine amounts are all dependent on the cut of meat. All organ meats, including pig liver, heart, kidney, and brain, will be in the high-purine category and should be avoided. Keep portions to the AHA’s recommended serving size (3 ounce portion or the size of a deck of cards). Purines in Pork Part Total Purine Range Heart 119 mg Moderate Kidney 195 mg High Liver 284.8 mg High Neck 70.5 mg Moderate Ribs 75.8 mg Moderate Rump 113 mg Moderate Shoulder 81.4 mg Moderate Sirloin 90.9 mg Moderate Tenderloin 119.7 mg Moderate Tongue 104 mg Moderate Bacon 61.8 mg Moderate Prosciutto 138.3 mg Moderate Salami 120.4 mg Moderate Boneless Ham 90.8 mg Moderate Purine content per 100 g of pork. If you have gout attacks, you should avoid high-purine cuts and products of pork. You can eat pork cuts in the lower purine categories in moderation. Be sure to take into consideration your cooking methods and other foods you eat to get a more accurate idea of how much purine you're consuming in total. Cooking Tips How you cook your pork changes its total fat and purine content. Research has shown that rinsing foods (including pork products like bacon) with water and cooking them are effective ways to reduce total purines. Be sure to cook with gout-friendly methods, which means choosing moist or dry heat methods like steaming, baking, or roasting, rather than deep frying. Watch the ways you marinate, season, and prepare your pork too. Experts say high-fat dairy and rich breading batters are high in purines and should be avoided in gout patients. Highly processed sugars commonly found in commercially made marinades and sauces should also be avoided or used very sparingly. Know that purines release into meat juices when cooked so you should avoid stewing pork or cooking pork using single-pot methods. It's better to cook your pork on its own and then add it to your meal. Frequently Asked Questions Does pork cause gout? By itself, pork does not cause gout. However, a high-purine diet can increase the risk of developing gout. Gout occurs when the body creates more uric acid than it can remove, resulting in crystals that form in the joints and tissues. Is eating bacon bad for gout? Most people with gout may not benefit from eating bacon, since it contains a moderate amount of purine. However, this does not mean it is always bad for gout. Everyone's body works differently; some people may be able to handle higher amounts of purine, while others will need to be more selective with their food choices to avoid a gout attack. Every person with gout should monitor their purine intake to understand their body's limitations. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with chronic inflammation? An anti-inflammatory diet can help. Our free recipe guide shows you the best foods to fight inflammation. Get yours today! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 6 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gout. The American Heart Association. Saturated Fat. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, mechanically separated, raw. Elevate Health AZ. Purine Table. Kaneko Kiyoko, Aoyagi Yasuo, Fukuuchi Tomoko, Inazawa Katsunori. Total Purine and Purine Base Content of Common Foodstuffs for Facilitating Nutritional Therapy for Gout and Hyperuricemia. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2014;37(5):709-721. doi:10.1248/bpb.b13-00967.x Arthritis Foundation. Gout. 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