Gladiators Were Vegetarians
Plant-based diets high in carbohydrates made the Roman ‘barley men’ appear more spectacular.
According to a recent study, gladiators were mostly vegetarians and their diets consisted, above all, of barley and vegetables. They were neither too poor to buy meat nor staunch defenders of animal rights; instead, their carbohydrate-rich diets made them put on weight, which both protected them during fights and made them appear more spectacular, which pleased the crowds.
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