Today, lettuce is a light appetizer or side dish, but for the ancient Romans it was much more functional. They considered it a medicinal plant — especially helpful for sleep and digestion problems.
Roman physicians recommended eating lettuce for dinner to help relax and fall asleep. Its juice was believed to have cooling and calming properties. Interestingly, some varieties of lettuce contain lactucin, a chemical compound with mild sedative effects, which proves the Romans were right.
Emperor Augustus, towards the end of his reign (he ruled from 27 BCE to 14 CE), is said to have regained his health from a serious illness thanks to the “lettuce cure.”
