Daily Amount of Purine in Commonly Recommended Well-Balanced Diets in Japan and Overseas

Background/Objectives: A low purine diet has been recommended for patients with gout and hyperuricemia, but there are concerns about excessive carbohydrates and a lack of protein. A well-balanced diet in accordance with general dietary guidelines is widely recommended. The Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet are also recommended for gout and hyperuricemia patients. However, there is little information on the purine levels in these diets. The aim of this study is to determine the daily amount of purine in well-balanced diets that follows the dietary guidelines, including the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. Methods: We measured the purine content in various foodstuffs. Using these values, we calculated the amount of purine in generally recommended well-balanced diets-the Japanese diet, American My Plate Plan, the Mediterranean diet, and the DASH diet. To calculate the amount of purine, recipes tailored to the characteristics of each diet were created. Results: The amount of purine in the Japanese diet, in the American My Plate Plan, in the Mediterranean diet, and in the DASH diet were 308.5-366.1, 308.7-335.0, 346.6-394.1, 325.9-493.9 mg/day, respectively. These values were close to the 400 mg/day recommended in the Japanese Guideline for the management of Hyperuricemia and Gout. Conclusions: A well-balanced diet following the recommendation in the dietary guidelines is considered to provide adequate purines. Because a high purine diet can lead to the recurrence of gout, advising to eat a balanced diet is useful on lifestyle guidance for the patients with gout and hyperuricemia.