Is Pork Blood High in Uric Acid? A Guide for People with Gout

Pork blood is a food staple in many cuisines around the world. But for people with gout, foods high in purines like pork blood can raise uric acid levels and trigger painful gout attacks. So is pork blood really high in uric acid-producing purines? Let’s take a closer look.

What is Pork Blood?

Pork blood refers to the blood drained from pigs during slaughter. It has a rich, irony flavor and is used to make blood sausage, blood soup, blood pudding, and other traditional dishes in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Pork blood is a good source of protein, iron, and B vitamins like B12. But like other organ meats, it’s high in purines.

What are Purines and Uric Acid?

Purines are natural compounds found in many foods. When you digest purines, they break down into uric acid.

Uric acid travels through the bloodstream and is filtered out by the kidneys. But in people with gout, excess uric acid builds up and forms painful crystals in the joints. Gout is caused by hyperuricemia – too much uric acid in the blood.

Eating high-purine foods makes the problem worse. Foods especially high in purines include organ meats, seafood, yeast, alcohol, and beer.

Is Pork Blood High in Purines?

According to purine databases, a 100 gram serving of pork blood contains approximately 350-380 mg of purines.

This is considered a very high level – more than 2 to 3 times higher than most cuts of pork.

For comparison:

• Pork liver has 285 mg purines per 100g
• Pork kidney has 195 mg purines per 100g
• Pork chops have around 80 mg purines per 100g

So pork blood is among the highest purine foods you can eat. Other foods similarly high in purines include:

• Anchovies
• Sardines
• Beef kidneys
• Beef liver
• Game meats like venison

People with gout are generally advised to limit high-purine foods to 2-3 ounces a few times per week at most.

It’s recommended to avoid the very highest purine foods like organ meats completely if you are prone to gout attacks

Can You Eat Pork Blood if You Have Gout?

For people with gout, pork blood is generally considered unsafe to eat. Consuming it regularly and in large amounts is likely to increase uric acid levels and trigger painful gout flares.

However, everyone has a different tolerance level for purines. Some people may be able to occasionally eat small amounts of pork blood without issues. Others need to strictly avoid it altogether.

There are a few factors that determine if you can get away with moderate pork blood intake:

• Severity of your gout – If you have frequent, severe attacks, you’ll need to be more strict about avoiding high purine foods altogether. People with milder, infrequent gout may have more flexibility.

• Medications – If you take gout medications like allopurinol or febuxostat to lower uric acid, you may tolerate higher purine foods. But they are still best limited.

• Other dietary purines – Consuming other high purine foods and drinks in your diet means you’ll have to restrict pork blood intake even more. Total purine load matters.

• Kidney function – Impaired kidneys have a harder time removing uric acid, so you’ll need to limit purines more diligently.

Your doctor can help you determine if you should avoid pork blood completely or if occasional intake may be alright. Be sure to let them know if you experience any gout flares after eating it.

Healthier Ways to Eat Pork with Gout

While pork blood is very high in purines, other cuts and preparation methods make pork safer for gout:

• Choose lean cuts – Loin, tenderloin and center cut chops have the lowest purine content. Avoid organ meats.

• Eat in moderation – Limit portion size to 2-3 ounces max, once or twice per week.

• Cook with dry heat – Baking, broiling, grilling and roasting avoids extracting extra purines like stewing and boiling does.

• Avoid rich batters – Skip buttermilk, beer and egg-based marinades and breadings which are high in purines.

• Rinse before cooking – Washing pork under water for 5 minutes reduces purine content.

• Avoid gravy – Make sauces and pan drippings separately to keep purines out.

Following these tips makes pork a safer choice when strategizing a low-purine diet for managing gout.

Other Substitutes for Pork Blood

If you need to restrict pork blood due to gout or other health conditions, some alternatives provide the same rich, irony flavor:

• Chicken or duck blood – Contains less than half the amount of purines compared to pork blood.

• Mushrooms – Portobello, shiitake and oyster mushrooms can mimic the umami, meaty flavor.

• Tomato paste – Adds a richness similar to blood.

• Soy sauce – Provides savoriness without purines.

• Beetroot juice – Contributes an earthy, irony flavor.

• Dried shiitake mushrooms – Soak and use mushroom soaking water as a broth base.

Experiment with these substitutes when preparing soups, stews, gravies and other dishes that traditionally call for pork blood.

Summary

Pork blood is very high in purines, containing over 350 mg per 100 gram serving. This makes it a risky food for people with gout who are vulnerable to uric acid buildup and painful gout attacks.

Although some people may be able to occasionally consume small amounts without problems, most with gout should avoid pork blood altogether. Safer ways to eat pork with gout include choosing lean cuts, practicing portion control, and using dry heat cooking methods.

For those that need or want to avoid pork blood, ingredients like mushrooms, tomato paste, soy sauce, and beetroot juice can mimic the rich, meaty flavor in recipes. Work with your doctor and pay attention to your body’s response to determine if any level of pork blood can fit into your gout diet.