Which purine base makes up most of this number?

Hypoxanthine — 128.9 mg of the 160.9 mg per 100 g total. The rest is xanthine 12.6, adenine 10.9, guanine 8.5.

Is this value for raw or cooked food?

Raw — the source entry is Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw. Cooking changes water content, so compare like with like.

Why is hypoxanthine the largest fraction here?

Hypoxanthine accounts for 128.9 of the 160.9 mg total — about 80% of the number.

Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw

Moderate purine

Beef (other than organs)

Purine content

161 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	161 mg
— Adenine	10.9 mg
— Guanine	8.5 mg
— Hypoxanthine	129 mg
— Xanthine	12.6 mg
Fructose	No data available
Calories	243 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: USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) — USDA analytical data (FDC Foundation Foods program).
Fructose and calories: USDA FoodData Central record #2514744.

If you want something similar

Within beef (other than organs), the same table also lists Beef roast, cooked (unspecified) at 124.8 mg and Beef, sirloin, raw at 124.8 mg per 100 g.

From the author

Personal experience of someone living with gout

I ate it once during a flare and felt rough afterwards. Between flares I eat it as usual.

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

Questions

Which purine base makes up most of this number?: Hypoxanthine — 128.9 mg of the 160.9 mg per 100 g total. The rest is xanthine 12.6, adenine 10.9, guanine 8.5.
Is this value for raw or cooked food?: Raw — the source entry is Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw. Cooking changes water content, so compare like with like.
Why is hypoxanthine the largest fraction here?: Hypoxanthine accounts for 128.9 of the 160.9 mg total — about 80% of the number.

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 moderate purine foods.