Enslaved people were starved during the Middle Passage. At "best", the enslavers fed enslaved people beans, corn, yams, rice, and palm oil. However, enslaved African people were not always fed every day. If there was not enough food for the sailors (human traffickers) and the slaves, the enslavers would eat first, and the enslaved might not get any food. On some slave ships, slaves who looked sick were not given any food. Many enslaved people died from starvation and dehydration (not having enough water) during the Middle Passage.