Which purine base makes up most of this number?

Xanthine — 268 mg of the 321 mg per 100 g total. The rest is guanine 39, hypoxanthine 14, adenine 0.

Anchovy, canned

High purine

Finfish and shellfish

Purine content

321 mgper 100 g

The level label is a plain categorization of the number above — not a statement about whether this food fits your diet. See the full disclaimer.

Composition — per 100 g

Purine, total	321 mg
— Adenine	0 mg
— Guanine	39 mg
— Hypoxanthine	14 mg
— Xanthine	268 mg
Fructose	No data available
Calories	210 kcal

Missing figures are shown as “No data available”; values are copied from the sources below and are never estimated. Laboratory values differ between studies and samples.

Where these numbers come from

Purine total and fractions: Clifford, A.J., & Story, D.L. (1976). Levels of purines in foods and their metabolic effects in rats. The Journal of Nutrition, 106(3), 435-42..
Fructose and calories: USDA FoodData Central record #174183.

If you want something similar

Within finfish and shellfish, the same table also lists Oysters, canned at 107 mg and Cod, Atlantic, wild, raw at 110.3 mg per 100 g.

From the author

Personal experience of someone living with gout

I used to love canned anchovies, until one serving was followed by a flare. I took them out of my rotation after that; if I really crave them I'll have a little — maybe three quarters of a fillet — between flares, and none at all during one.

Personal experience — not medical advice. Read the full disclaimer.

Questions

Which purine base makes up most of this number?: Xanthine — 268 mg of the 321 mg per 100 g total. The rest is guanine 39, hypoxanthine 14, adenine 0.

Looking for a different food? Search the full database — every entry there links back to its source, whether or not it has a page like this one. Or browse high purine foods.