Uniform diet in a diverse society. Revealing new dietary evidence of the Danish Roman Iron Age based on stable isotope analysis

A systematic dietary investigation during Danish Roman Iron Age (1‐375AD) is conducted by analyzing stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) in the collagen of human and animal bone. The human sample comprises 77 individuals from 10 burial sites. In addition 31 samples of mammals and fish were analyzed from same geographical area. The investigation characterizes the human diet among different social groupings and analyses dietary differences present between sex, age, and site phase groups. Diachronically, the study investigates the Roman influences that had an effect on social structure and subsistence economy in both the Early and Late Period. Geographically the locations are both inland and coastal. The isotopic data indicate extremely uniform diet both between and within population groups from Early and Late Roman periods and the data are consistent throughout the Roman Iron Age. Protein consumption was dominated by terrestrial animals with no differences among social status, age, sex, or time period, while terrestrial plant protein only seems to have contributed little in the diet. Furthermore, the consumption of marine or aquatic resources does not seem to have been important, even among the individuals living next to the coast. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Fringes of the empire: Diet and cultural change at the Roman to post‐Roman transition in NW Iberia

A growing number of paleodiet investigations over recent years have begun to reveal the stark dietary differences that existed between regions of the Roman Empire, as well as significant changes in subsistence strategies after its fall. The present study explores the dietary changes at the Roman to post‐Roman (Germanic) transition in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula, in order to improve our understanding of the changes that occurred at end of the Roman Empire in different regions across Europe and to also consider the influence of climate had on them. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope investigation in bone collagen from A Lanzada, NW Spain (100–700 AD), which was an important commercial, coastal settlement has been presented. A human sample of 59 individuals, 6 of them subadults, is compared with 31 faunal specimens, which include a number of marine fish. Isotope data for the terrestrial fauna reveal the influence of the sea on the local isotope baseline. Analysis of the human samples indicates a mixed marine‐terrestrial diet. A shift in mean human δ¹³C values from ?16.7‰ to ?14.3‰ provides clear evidence for a significant change in diet in the post‐Roman period, probably through the intensification of both marine resources exploitation and C₄‐plant consumption (presumably millet). A deterioration of paleoenvironmental conditions, together with a poor socioeconomic situation and the arrival of new people, the Sueves, who brought a new political and socioeconomic system have been discussed as the main causes for the dietary modification in post‐Roman times.     

"These boots were made for walking": the isotopic analysis of a C(4) Roman inhumation from Gravesend, Kent, UK

As part of the road widening scheme between London and Dover, Oxford Archaeology South uncovered a large boundary ditch of Iron Age origin that contained Iron Age and Roman inhumations, adjacent to which was a small mid-late Roman cemetery, interpreted as a rural cemetery for Romano-British farmers. Grave goods in the cemetery were restricted to a few individuals with hobnailed boots. Bulk bone collagen isotopic analysis of 11 skeletons of Iron Age and Roman date gave a typical C(3) terrestrial signal (average δ(13) C = -19.8‰, δ(15) N = 9.3‰), but also revealed one (SK12671) with a diet which included a substantial C(4) component (δ(13) C = -15.2‰, δ(15) N = 11.2‰). This is only the second such diet reported in Roman Britain. Subsequent δ(18) O(c) and (87) Sr/(86) Sr measurements on the dental enamel in this individual were, however, consistent with a "local" origin, indicating that either C(4) protein was consumed in Late Roman Britain, or that he came from somewhere else, but where conditions gave rise to similar isotopic values. If we accept the latter, then it indicates that using oxygen and strontium isotopes alone to identify "incomers" may be problematic. The provision of hobnailed boots for the dead appears to have had a strong symbolic element in Late Roman Britain. We suggest that in this case the boots may be significant, in that he was being equipped for the long march home.     

Dietary factors and cancer mortality among atomic-bomb survivors

Dietary factors such as fruit and vegetables are thought to reduce the risk of cancer incidence and mortality. We investigated the effect of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables against the long-term effects of radiation exposure on the risk of cancer. A cohort of 36,228 atomic-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for whom radiation dose estimates were currently available, had their diet assessed in 1980. They were followed for a period of 20 years for cancer mortality. The joint-effect of fruit and vegetables intake and radiation exposure on risk of cancer death was examined, in additive (sum of effects of diet alone and radiation alone) and multiplicative (product of effects of diet alone and radiation alone) models. In the additive model, a daily intake of fruit and vegetables significantly reduced the risk of cancer deaths by 13%, compared to an intake of once or less per week. Radiation exposure of 1 Sievert (Sv) increased significantly the risk of cancer death by 48-49%. The additive joint-effects showed a lower risk of cancer among those exposed to 1 Sv who had a diet rich in vegetables (49%-13%=36%) or fruit (48%-13%=35%). The multiplicative model gave similar results. The cancer risk reduction by vegetables in exposed persons went from 52% (effect of radiation alone) to 32% (product of effect of vegetables and radiation), and cancer risk reduction by fruit was 52% (radiation alone) to 34% (product of effect of fruit and radiation). There was no significant evidence to reject either the additive or the multiplicative model. A daily intake of fruit and vegetables was beneficial to the persons exposed to radiation in reducing their risks of cancer death.     

Changing cultures, changing cuisines: Cultural transitions and dietary change in Iron Age, Roman, and Early Medieval Croatia

Food is well-known to encode social and cultural values, for example different social groups use different consumption patterns to act as social boundaries. When societies and cultures change, whether through drift, through population replacement or other factors, diet may also alter despite unchanging resource availability within a region. This study investigates the extent to which dietary change coincides with cultural change, to understand the effects of large-scale migrations on the populations' diets. Through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of Iron Age, Roman, and Early Medieval human bone collagen, we show that in Croatia large-scale cultural change led to significant changes in diet. The isotopic evidence indicates that Iron Age diet consisted of C(3) foodstuffs with no isotopic evidence for the consumption of C(4) or marine resources. With the Roman conquest, marine resources were added to the diet, although C(3) foodstuffs continued to play an important role. In the Early Medieval period, this marine component was lost and varying amounts of C(4) foodstuffs, probably millet, were added to the otherwise C(3) diet. In both of these transitions it is likely that the changes in diet are related to the arrival of a new people into the area.     

Roman plant remains from Veli Brijun (island of Brioni), Croatia

41 archaeobotanical samples were analysed, which had been collected from the seabed at uvula Verige (Verige bay) on the island of Veli Brijun, Croatia, the site of a Roman villa which was settled from the 1st to the 5th century A. D. From the analysis of plant macrofos-sils it is evident that the eu-Mediterranean evergreen woodland, today described as Quercion ilicis in the phyto-sociological system, already existed in the Roman period. During this period it became degraded as a result of human activities to other vegetation types such as maquis and garrigue scrub, and grassland. The remains of Vitis vinifera (grapevine), Olea europaea (olive), Ficus carica (fig), and Pinus pinea (stone pine) were most frequently recorded; they all derive from very important and characteristic Mediterranean foods. Prunus avium (sweet cherry) and P. persica (peach), some vegetables and spices were probably cultivated, too, as well as some cereals, most probably Panicum miliaceum (millet). Juglans regia (walnut), Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut), and Corylus avellana (hazel) were possibly cultivated on the island or imported from neighbouring Istia. The records of some fresh water plants show that there was fresh water in uvala Verige and its surroundings in Roman times, much more than today. Received February 29, 2000 / Accepted January 31, 2001     

Prevention of cancer: vegetables and plants

1. Results of epidemiological studies indicate that a human diet rich in vegetables may lower the incidence of cancer. 2. This preventive effect of the vegetable diet against cancer could be ascribed to lowered intake of energy (joules) and its content of vitamins and carotene. 3. The consumption of vegetables means also less meat and fats as well as increased fiber content and specific chemopreventive compounds (indoles, plant phenols) present in such a diet. 4. The supposed mechanisms of prevention may include enhanced enzymatic detoxification of harmful compounds, and inhibition of their binding to cellular DNA, their adsorption on fiber, detoxification of radical forms of carcinogens by natural antioxidants in plants and probably many other ways too.     

Mutagenicity of food pellets from human diets in The Netherlands

Food pellets from human diets, prepared according to mean consumption figures in The Netherlands, were assessed on mutagenicity and mutagens were identified. Three types of human meals were compared: raw (C), heated (D) and heated with vegetables and fruit (E, a complete meal). In addition 2 animal diets were tested: commercial control diet (A), and a control diet to which vegetables and fruit had been added (B). All human diets contained: 40.6 energy (E)% fat, 13.2 E% protein, 46.2 E% carbohydrate and 5.2% (w/w) fibre. For animal diets these figures were 21.6, 26.0, 52.4 and 10.7% respectively. After extraction samples were tested in the Salmonella-microsome test, tester strains TA1538, TA98 and TA100. Human diets with heated products (D, E) were both clearly mutagenic with approximately 300-500 revertants per gram. Food pellets from animal diets (A, B) displayed no mutagenic activity. HPLC-derived chromatographic fractions of diets D and E showed 3 large mutagenic areas identified as IQ (2-amino-3 methyl-imidazo-[4,5-f]quinoline) and MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline, DiMeIQx (2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline and PhIP (2-amino-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine) and other mutagens not completely defined. This mutagen profile was similar to that found previously for fried beef. Mass estimates for these potent mutagens amounted to 15-20 micrograms/kg. Health implications of these findings are discussed. As IQ, MeIOx and DiMeIQx have been found to be weakly carcinogenic in rodents and many other initiating and modulating factors may be present in a complex human diet, a chronic toxicity study is indicated.     

Intensive agriculture and land use at Roman Gordion,central Turkey

Few archaeobotanical studies of Roman agricultural practices and their environmental impact in Anatolia (modern Turkey) have been published. New data from Roman levels at Gordion, a multi-period urban centre in central Anatolia, indicate that free-threshing wheat, most likely Triticum aestivum (bread wheat), was the focus of agricultural practice, in contrast to earlier periods when a more diverse agricultural system included greater amounts of barley and pulses. Evidence for increased levels of irrigation and wood fuel use relative to dung, along with regional overgrazing, provide further evidence for significant change in land-use practices during the Roman period. The emphasis on T. aestivum cultivation coupled with extensive grazing had significant environmental implications, leading to severe overgrazing and soil erosion on a regional scale. Historical sources and limited data from other Roman period sites suggest that similar patterns of agriculture may have been practiced across central Anatolia during the Roman period. We propose that this may have been due to externally imposed demands for taxation or military tribute in the form of wheat, and conclude that these demands led to the adoption of an unsustainable agricultural system at Gordion.     

Influence of two different diets on fluid and particle retention time Javan langur (Trachypithecus auratus auratus)

In captivity, langurs (foregut fermenting primates) often suffer from digestive disorders, and in particular display soft stools on diets with a high proportion of fruits, vegetables, and grain products. In this study, we tested whether the improvement in feces consistency expected after an omission of vegetables from a conventional diet was also accompanied by a change in the excretion pattern as measured by the mean retention time (MRT). Two adult Javan langurs were kept together and offered a conventional diet of pellets, browse, vegetables, or a diet consisting of pellets and browse only. MRT were measured with cobalt-EDTA as the fluid and chromium oxide as the particle marker before, during, and after the test diet, collecting the feces of both animals together. MRTs of fluids and particles were longer (47/49 h) on the test diet as compared to the usual diet (42/43 h). Feces consistency improved during the test period. The test period was marked by an increased fiber intake; however, on the conventional diet, dietary water intake exceeded the calculated water flux for these animals distinctively, due to the high proportion of vegetables. Therefore, it cannot be decided whether the increase of fiber level alone or also a reduction of the excessive water intake was responsible for the changes observed. Comparing the results of this study to other studies on ingesta retention in foregut fermenting primates, no correlation between the body mass of the animals and the MRTs measured is evident, which is in accordance with observations in other groups of foregut fermenters.     

Dietary interventions of human carcinogenesis

The diet is a complex mixture that is associated with 30% of human cancer in the U.S. Extensive laboratory studies indicate that the diet is composed of many mutagens/carcinogens as well as antimutagens/anticarcinogens. Overwhelming evidence from epidemiological studies indicates that a diverse diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in certain fats, along with moderate caloric intake and exercise, is most closely associated with reduced cancer risk. Dietary intervention studies using complex food items (fruits, vegetables, and fats) support these epidemiological observations; dietary interventionsusing single compounds (vitamins, antioxidants, etc.) have generally not. Estimates suggest that appropriate dietary changes could reduce the percentage of deaths due to prostate, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer by ≥ 50%.     

Some vegetables (commonly consumed by humans) efficiently modulate bone metabolism

We have hypothesized that some vegetables which are part of the regular human diet may contain modulators of bone metabolism. To mimic a typical Western diet with large proportions of refined components, rats were pair-fed a semi-purified diet to which, in the treated animals, the dried material under investigation was added. Effects are expressed as % of untreated control. Bone parameters in rats were assessed in the proximal tibia by pQCT. Bone resorption (BR) was assessed by the urinary excretion of [3H]-tetracycline from prelabeled rats. Daily administration of 1 g of onion during 4 weeks increased total bone mineral content by 17.4% (p<0.05), trabecular bone mineral density by 13.6% (p<0.05). One g of onion/day administered to male rats blunted BR by 23-/+5% (p<0.05). Daily administration of onion to ovariectomized rats inhibited BR in a dose-dependent manner. At the highest dose (1.5 g of onion) BR was inhibited by 26-/+4% (p<0.01) as compared to 24-/+3% (p<0.001) for estradiol (27microg/kg/day). An additional 13 vegetables displayed significant effects on BR at the dose of 1g/day. Interestingly, 1g/day of soy did not inhibit BR in this model. Also, skimmed milk, meat and egg (all 1 g/day) were ineffective. Thus, common vegetables consumed by humans potently modulate bone metabolism in the rat. This opens the possibility to develop the basis for a low-cost, safe and effective nutritional approach to osteoporosis.     

Cadmium Concentration Limits in Agricultural Soils: Weaknesses in USEPA's Risk Assessment and the 503 Rule

One of the key pathways of human exposure to cadmium (Cd) as a result of the widespread use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer and soil conditioner is through the consumption of home-grown vegetables, particularly leafy crops, on sludge-amended gardens. I have re-analyzed the database and methodology used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to assess this pathway in developing a soil loading limit for Cd under the Part 503 biosolids rule. The efficiency of Cd uptake by leafy crops, measured by the uptake coefficient (UC), varied over a wide range and depended strongly on soil pH and crop species. The geometric mean UC of 0.182 used by the USEPA to represent all leafy vegetables in gardens is too low an estimate of UC for slightly to strongly acid soils that are common in gardens of the Northeast. Also, certain popular leafy vegetables, particularly lettuce and spinach, shown by the USEPA database to be markedly stronger accumulators of Cd than most brassicas, are not adequately represented by the USEPA single-point estimate of Cd uptake. The assumed diet in the USEPA risk assessment failed to consider the reasonable worst case exposure of a vegetarian or semivegetarian diet. It is concluded that the potential for crop uptake and dietary intake of Cd could be substantially higher for some gardeners than estimated by the USEPA for reasons relating mainly to soil acidity and dietary preferences.     

Derivation of Critical Soil Cadmium Concentrations for the State of São Paulo,Brazil, Based on Human Health Risks

The main cadmium exposure pathway for humans is through diet. A database on Cd concentration in soils and accumulation in edible vegetables from tropical and temperate regions was organized, soil–plant relationships were derived, and then critical soil Cd concentrations were calculated based on human exposure parameters for the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Cadmium accumulation in leafy and root vegetables could be predicted by multiple regression analysis and most of the variance was explained when total Cd concentration and pH in soil were included as predictors. The calculated Cd bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for the tropical dataset were higher as compared to the temperate dataset. Consequently, critical soil Cd concentrations were from 1.7- to 3.2-fold lower for tropical conditions. Higher humidity and temperature at the tropics, as well as more weathered soils with lower retention capacity of Cd, may explain the higher Cd uptake and accumulation in tropical than in temperate regions. To protect human health, exclusive data regarding Cd in soils and edible vegetables from tropical regions should be used for the State of São Paulo to derive critical soil Cd concentrations, instead of (additional) data from temperate regions.     

Grains from ear to ear: the morphology of spelt and free-threshing wheat from Roman Mursa (Osijek), Croatia

Cereals were a significant part of the Roman diet, yet knowledge about their cultivation, distribution and consumption in certain regions is particularly lacking. In Europe, studies generally suggest that from the Iron Age to the Roman period there was a reduction in barley cultivation, an increase in spelt over emmer, a preference for free-threshing wheat over glume wheats, as well as the increased cultivation of rye and oats. Up till now, there was little evidence on crop cultivation in Croatia, but the discovery of around 24,000 cereal grains from the oven of a 2nd-4th c. ad Roman villa in the modern town of Osijek provides important insights into diet and subsistence in the Roman province of Pannonia. Here, the dominance of free-threshing wheat, spelt and rye with only a relatively small amount of other cereals, chaff and weeds corresponds well with this pattern seen elsewhere in Europe. The relatively clean grain deposit suggests that this sample represents processed grain ready for final food preparation and consumption at the villa. The morphological variation and overlap seen between the carbonised spelt and free-threshing wheat grains, as well as the identification of ‘stunted’ cereal grains, is also discussed.

     

Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study

BackgroundInterpreting and utilizing the findings of nutritional research can be challenging to clinicians, policy makers, and even researchers. To make better decisions about diet, innovative methods that integrate best evidence are needed. We have developed a decision support model that predicts how dietary choices affect life expectancy (LE).Methods and findingsBased on meta-analyses and data from the Global Burden of Disease study (2019), we used life table methodology to estimate how LE changes with sustained changes in the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, refined grains, nuts, legumes, fish, eggs, milk/dairy, red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages. We present estimates (with 95% uncertainty intervals [95% UIs]) for an optimized diet and a feasibility approach diet. An optimal diet had substantially higher intake than a typical diet of whole grains, legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, and included a handful of nuts, while reducing red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains. A feasibility approach diet was a midpoint between an optimal and a typical Western diet. A sustained change from a typical Western diet to the optimal diet from age 20 years would increase LE by more than a decade for women from the United States (10.7 [95% UI 8.4 to 12.3] years) and men (13.0 [95% UI 9.4 to 14.3] years). The largest gains would be made by eating more legumes (females: 2.2 [95% UI 1.1 to 3.4]; males: 2.5 [95% UI 1.1 to 3.9]), whole grains (females: 2.0 [95% UI 1.3 to 2.7]; males: 2.3 [95% UI 1.6 to 3.0]), and nuts (females: 1.7 [95% UI 1.5 to 2.0]; males: 2.0 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.3]), and less red meat (females: 1.6 [95% UI 1.5 to 1.8]; males: 1.9 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.1]) and processed meat (females: 1.6 [95% UI 1.5 to 1.8]; males: 1.9 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.1]). Changing from a typical diet to the optimized diet at age 60 years would increase LE by 8.0 (95% UI 6.2 to 9.3) years for women and 8.8 (95% UI 6.8 to 10.0) years for men, and 80-year-olds would gain 3.4 years (95% UI females: 2.6 to 3.8/males: 2.7 to 3.9). Change from typical to feasibility approach diet would increase LE by 6.2 (95% UI 3.5 to 8.1) years for 20-year-old women from the United States and 7.3 (95% UI 4.7 to 9.5) years for men. Using NutriGrade, the overall quality of evidence was assessed as moderate. The methodology provides population estimates under given assumptions and is not meant as individualized forecasting, with study limitations that include uncertainty for time to achieve full effects, the effect of eggs, white meat, and oils, individual variation in protective and risk factors, uncertainties for future development of medical treatments; and changes in lifestyle.ConclusionsA sustained dietary change may give substantial health gains for people of all ages both for optimized and feasible changes. Gains are predicted to be larger the earlier the dietary changes are initiated in life. The Food4HealthyLife calculator that we provide online could be useful for clinicians, policy makers, and laypeople to understand the health impact of dietary choices.

Lars Fadnes and co-workers estimate the possible benefits to life expectancy from adoption of more healthy diets.     

The role of dietary fatty acids in the evolution of spontaneous and facultative hibernation patterns in prairie dogs

The white-tailed prairie dog is a spontaneous hibernator which commences deep torpor bouts during early fall while the black-tailed prairie dog is a facultative hibernator that will only enter shallow torpor when stressed by cold and food deprivation. Plant oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) enhance the duration and depth of mammalian torpor. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that black-tailed prairie dogs sampled in the field have less PUFAs in their diets and that the enhancement of torpor bouts by this species on a diet higher in PUFA is less profound than that by white-tailed prairie dogs. Individuals of both species fed a high PUFA diet: (1) entered torpor earlier, (2) had lower torpor body temperatures and (3) had longer bouts of torpor, compared to those on a low PUFA diet. However, the magnitude of this change was similar for both species. Additionally, the PUFA compositions of white adipose tissue (WAT) samples taken from individuals in the field were identical, indicating that diet PUFA contents for these two species were also equivalent. Therefore, while high PUFA diets can enhance hibernation by these species, it does not appear to explain the differences between spontaneous and facultative strategies. The rate of lipid peroxidation during torpor, however, was significantly higher in the WAT from white-tailed prairie dogs. Ancestral prairie dog species are spontaneous hibernators. Natural selection may have favored shallow, facultative hibernation with lower lipid peroxidation rates in the black-tailed prairie dogs as they radiated from the Rocky Mountains into the Great Plains. Accepted: 12 September 2000     

Supplementary artificial light to increase egg production of geese under natural lighting conditions

A new supplementary lighting program was designed to increase the egg production of geese under natural light conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the supplementary lighting program on egg production of White Roman geese in an open housing system at the Tropic of Cancer. Forty mature White Roman geese were randomly allocated into two groups (male:female=1:4). The supplementary lighting program with a total daily photoperiod of between 12.0 h and 13.5 h was initiated on 1 November and withdrawn from the experimental group on 30 January. In contrast, the geese in the control group were kept under natural lighting conditions throughout this study. The results showed that the laying peak of the experimental group occurred earlier than normal in the reproductive season and the geese continued laying throughout the breeding season. The geese in the experimental group had 47.6 eggs/goose which was significantly (P<0.05) more than that of the control group having 26.4 eggs/goose. We can conclude that the supplemental lighting method will result in an earlier laying peak of the geese in the breeding season and higher egg production. The supplementary lighting program was able to maximize egg production in geese at the Tropic of Cancer.     

Problems of an aquatic diet in trace element analysis: The coastal site of Qurum RH5 (Sultanate of Oman, 3.700–3.200 b.C.)

Trace elements analysis, as an indicator of ancient diets, has been carried out to the human skeletal remains from the necropolis of RH5 and RH10 of Qurum (Sultanate of Oman, 3700–3200 B.C.). Soil samples from the inner part of the burials, shells, fish, turtles and herbivorous remains have been analyzed. Regarding the human bones, a first set (ribs) was related to 26 females and 41 males while a second set (femurs) was related to 22 females and 34 males. Four trace elements, among the most common indicators of diet, have been taken into consideration (barium, strontium, zinc and copper) for their stability to diagenetic effects. Manganese has been analyzed to determine the incidence of diagenesis. Data from the two sets of human bones show a narrower range of values for the femurs than for the the ribs, in agreement with a lower incidence of diagenesis in compact bones. A wider range of values from the animal samples show a higher incidence of diagenetic effects in these remains. Low levels of variability can be stressed for the soil samples. Post-mortem exchange could have more likely occurred in the outer parts of spongy bones, as manganese seems to show. The wide range of values from the ribs and, on the contrary, the narrow range from the femur indicate that an accurate choice of sample can reduce the effects of diagenesis. Regarding the alimentary habits of the groups from Qurum, the human samples (both males and females) show high rates of strontium, similar to the herbivorous. This could be associated to an aquatic diet. It is unlikely that the high levels of strontium could be linked to a high incidence of vegetables in the diet. Also archeological data seem to stress a prevalence of aquatic food in the diet. Not always do statistical analyses applied to groups with different anthropological or chronological characteristics give clear answers to the identification of ranges of values, but they have always been a valid support for the interpretation of data.     

Effect of dietary supplementation on the frequency of spontaneous lacZ mutations in the developing colon

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that dietary modifications can reduce the incidence of cancer. Specifically, diets high in vegetables and fruits are associated with lower rates of cancer at many sites. Somatic mutations have a critical role in carcinogenesis suggesting the use of in vivo mutation assays as an alternative approach to studying the relationship between diet and cancer. Since the rate of accumulation of spontaneous mutations is highest during growth and development early in life, we tested whether certain foods as dietary supplements could reduce the rate of mutation during this period using lacZ transgenic mice. Pregnant female mice were placed on a control diet or a diet supplemented to 20% final dry weight with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, flaxseed, green peas, green peppers, oranges or strawberries for the entire duration of their pregnancy and lactation. Mutation frequencies were subsequently measured at the lacZ transgene in colonic epithelial cells of the offspring at 3 weeks of age. A small number of measurements were also made on siblings at 8 weeks of age. While the control AIN-96G diet on its own resulted in lower mutant frequencies than had been observed in earlier experiments with lab chow, no significant reduction in mutant frequencies was detected for any of the foods tested as compared to the AIN-93G diet alone. Significantly more mutations were found at 3 weeks of age in mice fed diets supplemented with broccoli or oranges, but the result with oranges may be the result of jackpot mutations.