Asparagus is in fact very high in purines though it is also extremely nutritious in a number of ways. You will find that even as little as four spears of asparagus has only 13 calories, making it a perfect diet food for many people. This vegetable also has lots of protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamins which the body needs in order to stay healthy.

A high level of purines can mean problems for those who have gout or are at risk for developing gout because of the fact that it tends to increase the amount of uric acid in the body. Those who are on a low-purine diet will probably want to limit the amount of asparagus they eat on a regular basis. If you do eat asparagus it is important that you do so raw. A lot of diets do not allow asparagus to be eaten by those who are on them because of the fact that they are so high in purines, though there are many other saving graces to this vegetable, nutritionally-speaking.