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Dietary patterns of leprosy patients from the medieval leprosarium at Odense (Denmark) were investigated via carbon isotope ratio analysis of individual amino acids (δ 13C AA) in bone collagen. The aim of this research was to explore in detail the consumption of aquatic resources (freshwater and marine) by these individuals; especially during the last few years of life, which were likely spent in the leprosy hospital. The analysis was conducted on ribs (n = 30) and long bones (n = 10) from 30 individuals, as well as on 9 local and contemporary faunal samples. A comparison of the Odense δ 13C AA results with published δ 13C AA values from the Baltic Sea region indicate that the diet was primarily terrestrial, but 12 of the 30 individuals (40%) consumed a mixed terrestrial-aquatic diet based on Δ13C Val-Phe values. Further, comparison of the rib-long bone pairs from 10 individuals found statistically significant differences in the Δ13C Val-Phe and Δ13C Gly-Phe results, but not the δ 13C Lys results. This intra-individual dietary difference is also supported by MLA-PCA, and tentatively suggests these leprosy patients increased their consumption of marine protein over the last few years of life, indicating perhaps an institutional dietary program in the leprosarium. This work represents one of the largest archaeological δ 13C AA studies in Europe and the first to compare bones with different turnover rates. Compound specific isotope analysis of δ 13C AA has great potential to reveal subtle intra-individual dietary shifts that may remain undetected by bulk isotopic analysis. • First δ 13C AA results from archaeological bones with different turnover rates. • δ 13C AA results better than bulk isotopic results to detect subtle dietary changes. • Δ13C Gly-Phe detects marine/freshwater protein consumption better than Δ13C Val-Phe. • Most leprosy patients show increased marine food consumption in later life. • Tentative evidence of an institutional diet at the Odense leprosarium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]