“Compared to the Jurched soldiers, the Mongols were much healthier and stronger. The Mongols consumed a steady diet of meat, milk, yoghurt, and other diary products, and they fought men who lived on gruel made from various grains. The grain diet of the peasant soldiers stunted their bones, rotted their teeth, and left them weak and prone to disease. In contrast, the poorest Mongol soldier ate mostly protein, thereby giving him strong teeth and bones. Unlike the Jurched soldiers, who were dependent on a heavy carbohydrate diet, the Mongols could more easily go a day or two without food.” (Weatherford, 2004, p.87).

Weatherford, J. (2004) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York, NY: Broadway Books.