ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the role of pulses in the Roman diet from a biochemical perspective. It assesses the nutritional profile of different pulses and examines that they played a vital role in balancing the Roman diet. The chapter explores traditional food processing and preparation methods that affect nutritional values. It reviews the difference between Roman and modern definitions of what pulses are and how they should be categorized. The bioavailability of trace elements in pulses may be reduced by the anti-nutrient phytate, which also occurs in cereals. Several pulses contain toxic compounds that may cause severe maladies or even death if consumed in large quantities without detoxification. Roman pulses on average contained fewer anti-nutrients and more micronutrients than modified modern cultivars, although they were less productive. The nutritional sciences are increasingly arguing against the sub-recent marginalization of pulses and instead argue in favour of their dietary and health benefits for both the developed and developing world.
