Purine is a compound found in many foods, but mainly those of animal origin. When you consume purine-containing food, your body produces uric acid as a result. This usually isn't a problem for most individuals. Uric acid, however, can become too high, either from reduced excretion or eating too many purine-rich foods. This is when problems occur. Excess uric acid can cause gout and increases your risk for kidney stones. You'll need to avoid high-purine foods if your uric acid levels are high.
Red Flag Foods
Consuming a low-purine diet minimizes uric acid production. Foods high in purine include organ meats, bacon, anchovies, venison, veal, goose and yeast. Certain seafood such as mackerel, anchovies, codfish, haddock, herring, shrimp, sardines and scallops contain a large amount of purine. Very high purine foods contain 100 to 1,000 milligrams of purine per 3-ounce serving. Aim to limit your purine intake to no more than 150 milligrams daily. In addition to avoiding these purine-rich foods, drink eight to 12 glasses of water daily. This helps dilute uric acid and prevent kidney stones.