​Frequent consumers of fish, shellfish, and poultry may have a high tendency of developing gout.

This study investigated the role animal and plant proteins play in the development and prevention of gout. Researchers from University of Singapore in Singapore and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in the United States followed the diets of 51,114 Chinese adults between the ages of 45-74 years and also tracked the incidence of gout in the study population.

Researchers discovered habitual consumption of animal proteins, such as poultry, fish, and shellfish, increased the likelihood of developing gout. In contrast, generous intake of plant proteins, such as soy and non-soy legumes, reduced gout risk. Surprisingly, high dietary ingestion of proteins from food sources, such as egg, red meat, dairy products, grains, nuts, and seeds, was found to have no effect on gout risk in this study. Data from this study indicate that increased intake of legumes may contribute positively to the prevention of gout.