Roman Gladiators Ate Mostly Plants

Roman gladiators were often overweight and ate mostly vegetarian diets rather than developing the lean, muscle-bound bodies shown in movies. Austrian scientists analyzed bones from about 70 gladiators buried at Ephesus, near Selcuk in modern Turkey, and found that they mainly ate barley, beans, and dried fruit. Researchers suggested that this carbohydrate-heavy diet created a protective layer of fat that shielded vital organs, nerves, and blood vessels from cutting wounds.

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