You are what you eat, and to science it is true. People live longer based on what they choose to eat. With such a thought, Canadians took on to a UK-based challenge of eating vegan for a month. The challenge is called Veganuary (Vegan + January). For many, it is not a hidden fact that eating less meat and more plants is good for our health and it can cut food-related emissions, which make up to a third of the greenhouse causing climate change. However, going vegan isn't really a smooth change, rather a big step. It means to revamp our entire diet.

The good news is, that there have been researches that prove that even relatively small substitutions of red meat with plant-based proteins like tofu, lentils and beans can add months, sometimes years to our expected lifespan. It can also make a noticeable dent in our carbon footprint.

The Rise Of Vegetarianism

As per 2018, only 7.1% of Canadians were vegetarian and 2.3% were vegan. Olivia Auclair, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, who researched on Canadian's eating habits told CBC that Canadians get 65% of their protein from animal sources. Only 5% of the protein comes from the high-protein plant-based sources. Some of these are also included in Canada's Food Guide.

It is true that eating habits, along with shopping habits are hard to change, this is why Auclair's research tried to bring people more in line with the food guide. The Canada Food Guide recommends lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain, along with protein from both animal and plant sources.

ALSO READ: Is Plant-Based Cheese The Future?

What is the study all about?

Her research was published last year in the journal Nature Food, titled Partial substitutions of animal with plant protein foods in Canadian diets have synergies and trade-offs among nutrition, health and climate outcomes, found that replacing half their red and processed meat would increase people's life expectancy an average of nine months, while cutting their diet-related carbon footprint by 25%.

For her research, she analyzed what 13,600 Canadians ate based on the Statistics Canada data from "food diaries" recorded by them in 2015. After that, she modelled what could happen if the same people substituted 25 to 50% of the red and processed meat they had been consuming with plant-based proteins. However, they did not change their poultry, fish or seafood intake.

The results were great, as mentioned above. In fact, there was more. The health benefits were double for men compared to women!

Men gained one full year of increased life expectancy, on average. This is also because men eat more red and processed meats and the climate benefits were also higher for men cutting down on the meat.

CHECK OUT: Can A Vegan Diet Help You Loose Weight ?

Plant-based Diets

In 2019, an international group of scientist recommended a planetary health diet, a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grain, with small amounts of meat, dairy and fish, similar to what is recommended by the Canada Food Guide. The reason for such a recommendation was also to prevent 11 million deaths per year from processed meats and help keep greenhouse gas emission from food.

Another US study that looked at 200,000 US healthcare workers found that eating a plant-based diet could reduce a person's risk of dying by 30% from heart diseases, cancers, and respiratory diseases. Another 2021 Swedish study found a similar benefit, where it saw a 25% drop in mortality for those who adhere to a plant-based diets.

Peanut butter may look like a simple pantry staple, but nutritionally it is surprisingly complex. Just one spoonful contains a mix of plant protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that play important roles in the body.

Research suggests these nutrients can influence processes such as energy metabolism, heart health, and appetite regulation. Nutrition specialists say that when consumed in moderation, peanut butter can be a nutrient-dense addition to a balanced diet with measurable health benefits.

Here’s what’s really going on in your body when eat a tablespoon of peanut butter:

A Steady Source of Energy

Peanut butter is a nutritional powerhouse that delivers steady energy. A two-tablespoon serving has about 190 calories, 7–8 grams of protein, and about 16 grams of fat - the majority of which is heart-healthy unsaturated fat.

These fats slow the rate of digestion, so glucose enters the bloodstream more gradually instead of spiking it immediately. Thus, they help prevent the blood sugar spikes and crashes that can lead to snacking, which is why peanut butter is so commonly suggested as a satiating snack.

In fact, a randomized crossover clinical trial published in the British Journal of Nutrition (2013) found that adding peanuts or peanut butter to a breakfast meal improved blood-glucose control and appetite responses later in the day among women at high risk of Type 2 diabetes.

In addition, the combination of protein, fiber, and fat helps promote feelings of fullness, which can prevent unneeded snacking throughout the day.

Supports Heart Health

In a large study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2017) , researchers analyzed data from more than 200,000 people in three major long-term cohort studies. They found that adults who ate nuts (including peanuts) two or more times a week had around 16 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who never ate nuts.

Another JAMA Internal Medicine (2015) review revealed that people who regularly ate peanuts and other nuts had lower overall mortality and lower rates of death from heart disease. The results indicate that peanuts or peanut butter can be part of a healthy diet that promotes heart health in the long term.

May Help Control Weight Gain

Nutrition experts have found that nuts are often linked to better appetite control and lower overall energy intake, even though the food is high in calories. In short, peanut butter can be a powerful appetite suppressant to help stop overeating.

Delivers Important Nutrients

Additionally, peanuts contain plant compounds, like polyphenols and resveratrol, which most nutrition scientists have explored for their possible anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective benefits.

Moderation Still Matters

One spoonful of peanut butter can sound trivial, but it packs a powerful nutrient punch for energy, heart health, and fullness. Supported by large population and nutrition studies, and consumed in moderation and in the context of an overall healthy diet, peanut butter can be a healthy part of the diet. In some cases excellent nutrition really can be just a spoonful.

With focus on better diets, one turns to everyday vegetables, however, as per a recent Bengaluru study, lead was found in vegetables. 72 samples of vegetables were collected from the local markets in and around Bengaluru. 19 of them were found to contain lead, which is a toxic heavy metal that could harm human health.

This investigation revealed that even regular vegetables could pose harm to one's health.

What Did The Investigation Reveal?

A report was submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 12, 2026 by a committee of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The vegetable samples were sent to laboratory for testing, under the verification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The test checked for 11 heavy metals, three mineral and 230 types of pesticides.

The vegetables that showed lead above the safety limits were:

• Bottle gourd
• Beans
• Beetroot
• Cabbage
• Capsicum
• Chillies
• Cucumber
• Jute leaves (saluyot leaves)
• Knol-khol
• Squash

Brinjal or eggplant showed the most concentration of lead. The report noted that it contained 1.953 mg/kg of lead. However, the safe limit is only 0.1 mg/kg. The report noted that eggplant contained 20 times higher than the permissible limit.

Of the 70 samples, 10 were found to contain pesticide levels above permissible limits.

Why Is There Lead In Vegetables?

Experts explain that if lead enters soil or water, plants can absorb it through their roots. When the lead gets inside the plant, it becomes part of the vegetable tissue. This is why even if you wash the vegetables, you will not be able to get rid of it.

What Does Lead Do To Humans?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to lead can affect multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children and women of child-bearing age. Once in body, lead is distributed to brain, liver, kidney, and bones. It is also stored in the teeth and bones, where it can accumulate over time.

The WHO also notes that lead exposure was attributed to more than 1.5 million deaths globally in 2021, primarily due to cardiovascular effects. During pregnancy, lead could become a source of exposure to the developing fetus.

People are exposed to lead through both environmental and workplace sources. This can happen when they inhale tiny lead particles released during activities such as smelting, recycling batteries, stripping old lead-based paint, or burning materials like plastic cables that contain lead. Exposure can also occur when people swallow contaminated dust, soil, water, or food.

Why Children Are More Vulnerable

Young children face a much higher risk of lead poisoning than adults. Their bodies can absorb four to five times more lead from the same amount that is ingested. Their natural curiosity also increases exposure. Children often put their hands, toys, or other objects in their mouths, which makes it easier for them to ingest lead-contaminated dust, soil, or paint.

Some children may also develop pica, a condition where they repeatedly eat non-food items such as soil or paint chips. This behavior greatly increases the risk of lead exposure. In several countries, environmental contamination from activities like battery recycling and mining has led to large outbreaks of lead poisoning, sometimes resulting in deaths among young children.

What Happens When Lead Enters the Body

Once lead enters the body, it travels through the bloodstream and spreads to several organs, including the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones. Over time, much of the lead gets stored in the bones and teeth, where it can accumulate for years.

During pregnancy, stored lead in the bones can be released back into the bloodstream, which may expose the developing fetus. Children who are malnourished are even more vulnerable because deficiencies in nutrients like calcium and iron make the body absorb more lead.

Health Effects of Lead Exposure in Children

Lead exposure can have serious and lasting effects on a child’s health. Extremely high levels can severely damage the brain and central nervous system, leading to seizures, coma, or even death. Children who survive severe poisoning may suffer from permanent intellectual disabilities and behavioral problems.

Even lower levels of exposure, which may not cause obvious symptoms at first, can still harm multiple body systems. Lead can interfere with brain development, resulting in reduced IQ, shorter attention span, learning difficulties, and behavioral changes such as increased antisocial behaviour.

In addition, lead exposure has been linked to anaemia, high blood pressure, kidney damage, weakened immune function, and reproductive health problems. Because the effects can be long-lasting and sometimes irreversible, preventing exposure remains the most effective way to protect children’s health.

It turns out that a "boring" bowl of oatmeal might be a secret weapon for heart health. A recent study from the University of Bonn, published in Nature Communications, suggests that eating a diet focused almost entirely on oatmeal for just 48 hours can significantly lower cholesterol.

The study looked at people with metabolic syndrome, a group of health issues like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and extra body weight that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Using oats as medicine isn't actually a new idea. Back in the early 1900s, a German doctor named Carl von Noorden used "oat cures" to help people with diabetes. While modern medications eventually took center stage, researchers wanted to see if this old-school method still held value for preventing disease today.

Can Oats Help Control Bad Cholesterol?

To test the theory, 32 men and women followed a strict plan for two days. Here is how it worked:

• They ate 300 grams of boiled oatmeal per day, split into three meals.
• They could only add very small amounts of fruits or vegetables.
• They cut their usual daily calories roughly in half.

A second "control group" also cut their calories by half but didn't eat oats. While both groups saw some health improvements from eating less, the oatmeal group saw much better results. Not only did their LDL drop by 10%, but they also lost about 2 kilos on average. The study notes that that they also showed a slight improvement.

Even more surprising? The lower cholesterol levels were still visible six weeks later, suggesting that a short "oat reboot" every month or so could have lasting benefits.

Why Is It Important To Lower Cholesterol Levels?

Proteins carry cholesterol through your blood as "lipoproteins." HDL is "good" because it clears extra cholesterol by sending it to your liver for removal. Non-HDL (mostly LDL) is "bad" because it delivers cholesterol to your body; too much causes fatty buildup in your arteries, which blocks blood flow and significantly increases your risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Lowering high cholesterol is vital because it directly protects your heart and brain. When "bad" cholesterol levels are too high, sticky deposits called plaques narrow your arteries

How Do Oats Lower Bad Cholesterol Levels?

The researchers believe the answer lies in our gut microbiome (the bacteria living in our digestive system).

When we eat oats, certain "good" bacteria thrive. These microbes break down the oats into substances like ferulic acid, which travels into the bloodstream and helps the body process cholesterol more effectively.

These bacteria also help prevent the body from creating compounds that lead to insulin resistance, a major cause of diabetes.

The study also found that "a little bit" of oatmeal might not be enough for a major impact. In a separate part of the study, people ate 80 grams of oatmeal a day for six weeks without changing the rest of their diet. This approach only led to small changes.

It seems the combination of high oat intake and temporary calorie restriction is the "magic formula" that triggers the most significant health improvements.