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.

The monsoon season offers relief from the heat but also creates the perfect environment for bacteria, viruses, and fungi to multiply. As a result, stomach infections, food poisoning, diarrhea, and indigestion become more common.

Thus, fermented foods act as a natural probiotic to keep the gut healthy during the rainy season. They also support digestion, improve nutrient absorption, and may reduce the risk of digestive problems during the rainy season. However, the humidity can spoil the food.

HealthandMe spoke to experts who stressed good hygiene and freshly cooked meals. They also called for foods to be prepared

and stored safely to prevent contamination.

Common probiotic-rich homemade foods include:

• Curd (dahi)
• Buttermilk (chaas)
• Fermented rice (panta bhat)
• Idli and dosa batter
• Kanji
• Hygienically prepared homemade pickles

Why Fermented Foods Are Good During Monsoon

The experts said that homemade fermented foods naturally contain beneficial bacteria (probiotics) that help maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

"Monsoon brings a natural dip in immunity, and gut health takes centre stage in staying resilient through the season. Fermented foods are one of the simplest ways to introduce live beneficial bacteria that aid digestion and strengthen the body's natural defence mechanisms," Dr. Eileen Canday, Head of Nutrition & Dietetics at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, told HealthandMe.

Riya Oswal, Clinical Nutritionist at Ruby Hall Clinic, said pairing good hygiene with probiotic-rich fermented foods can help support gut health and strengthen the body's natural defenses.

Why Fermented Foods Can Be Risky During Monsoon

Despite their benefits, fermented foods can become unsafe if they are not prepared or stored properly.

"The higher humidity and fluctuating temperatures during the monsoon create favorable conditions for harmful microorganisms if fermentation is not properly controlled," Dt. Deepali Sharma, Clinical Nutritionist at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, told HealthandMe.

How to Prepare Fermented Foods Safely

Food safety becomes especially important during the rainy season. The experts recommended to:

• Wash hands thoroughly before preparing food.
• Use clean, sterilized utensils.
• Prepare foods with safe drinking (potable) water.
• Use fresh ingredients.
• Follow the recommended fermentation time and avoid over-fermentation in humid weather.
• Cover food properly while it ferments.
• Refrigerate fermented foods promptly after fermentation.
• Store them in clean, airtight containers.
• Consume them within the recommended storage period.

When Should You Throw Fermented Food Away?

Do not consume homemade fermented foods if they show signs of spoilage. Discard them if you notice:

• An unusual or foul smell
• Mold growth
• Discoloration
• A slimy texture
• An excessively sour taste

"Any fermented item that has been maintained at a temperature beyond the normal room temperature for too long must also be avoided, since it might carry dangerous microbes, even if everything seems fine at first glance," she said.

Who Should Be Extra Careful?

While fermented foods are generally safe for healthy individuals, some people should consult a doctor before consuming homemade fermented products, Oswal told HealthandMe.

These include:

• People with weakened immunity
• Patients undergoing chemotherapy
• Organ transplant recipients
• Those receiving immunosuppressive therapy
• People with serious chronic illnesses
• Individuals with uncontrolled gastrointestinal diseases

Sharma added that infants, older adults with reduced immunity, and pregnant women should consume only freshly prepared and properly stored fermented foods during the monsoon to minimize the risk of infection.

The Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) has launched a new policy document aimed at tackling childhood obesity and promoting healthier diets and food environments for children and adolescents in India.

Released under the multi-institutional 'Let's Fix Our Food' (LFOF) consortium, which was launched in 2022, the policy comes as India faces a growing burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension, cancer and respiratory illnesses.

The document outlines evidence-based recommendations to improve food environments and encourage healthier dietary habits among children and adolescents.

"Evidence-based, multisectoral policy action is essential to create healthier food environments for children and adolescents. Collaborative initiatives such as the Let's Fix Our Food Consortium are important for addressing the growing burden of overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases in India," said Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.

What Does The Policy Recommend?

The policy outlines recommendations across several areas, including:

• Healthy school food environments
• Nutrition literacy
• Front-of-pack nutrition labelling
• Regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children
• Taxation of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS)
• Healthier dietary fats
• Salt reduction
• Low-sodium salt substitutes
• Social and behavior change communication
• Youth engagement
• Fiscal measures to promote healthier diets.

India's Growing Obesity, Malnutrition Burden

The policy highlights India's growing double burden of malnutrition.

According to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) fact sheets for 2023–24, the prevalence of overweight children under five has increased to 3.4%, up from 2.1% in NFHS-4 and 1.3% in the previous survey.

The survey also found that although stunting among children under five has declined to 29.3%, acute malnutrition (wasting) remains unchanged at 5.2%, and only 15% of young children receive an adequate diet.

"Malnutrition is no longer only about undernutrition. Rising obesity, driven by unhealthy diets, challenges healthy growth among children and adolescents," said Marie-Claude Desilets, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF India.

Key Recommendations

The Let's Fix Our Food Consortium was established to generate evidence and drive policy action for healthier food environments, particularly for children and adolescents. Based on multidisciplinary research and expert consultations, the policy recommends:

Stricter Advertising Rules

• Enforce legal restrictions on marketing HFSS foods to children and adolescents.
• Ban misleading health claims and deceptive advertising across all media.

Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels

• Introduce mandatory, easy-to-read nutrition labels on packaged foods.
• Help consumers quickly identify products high in fat, salt and sugar.

Healthier School Food Environments

• Restrict junk food in and around schools.
• Ensure affordable, healthy food options and monitor school food environments using NEAT-S.

Tax Junk Food

• Levy taxes on HFSS foods and sugar-sweetened beverages to discourage consumption.
• Use fiscal measures to make healthier foods more affordable.

Strengthen National Programs

• Integrate these measures into initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme to promote better nutrition and physical activity.

New Tools to Support Healthy Eating

The consortium also launched practical tools to help schools and adolescents make healthier food choices.

• Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S): A framework to help schools assess and improve their food environments by promoting healthier canteens.
• Digital Literacy Modules: An interactive e-learning platform and comic books developed by ICMR-NIN to help adolescents understand food labels and reduce their intake of excess sodium and unhealthy fats.

The initiative is supported by several national and international organizations, including UNICEF India, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and other partners.

Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, but an estimated 645 million people still went hungry, while rising food prices linked to the Middle East conflict threaten to slow progress, according to a new UN report.

An estimated 7.8 percent of the global population—around 645 million people—were affected by hunger in 2025, down from 8.1 percent in 2024 and 8.6 percent in 2022, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report released on Tuesday by five UN agencies—FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.

The figure represents 14 million fewer hungry people than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than in 2022, marking the third consecutive year of improvement.

"While we welcome the clear progress we have made in reducing hunger, a healthy diet still remains unaffordable for one in three people globally. Obesity is rising and progress on maternal and child nutrition is stalling," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Over 2 Billion People Still Face Food Insecurity

Also read: Want Healthier Lungs? Add More Kale And Spinach To Your Plate, Suggests Study

Despite the decline in hunger, 25.8 percent of the world's population—around 2.1 billion people—experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, meaning they were forced at times to compromise on the quality or quantity of the food they consumed.

This is down from 27.1 percent in 2024 and 28.7 percent in 2020, equivalent to 86 million fewer people than in 2024 and 135 million fewer than in 2020, although levels remain above those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Progress Uneven Across Regions

Africa is now home to the largest number of hungry people, with 309 million affected.

More than half (56.6 percent) of Africa's population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, compared with:

• 20.3 percent in Asia
• 22.9 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean
• 8.7 percent in North America and Europe

Women continue to be disproportionately affected by food insecurity, although the gender gap narrowed slightly in 2025.

Middle East Conflict Could Slow Progress

The report warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could delay global efforts to end hunger by driving up food prices through higher energy and fertilizer costs.

Depending on how long the crisis affects food inflation, 510–520 million people could still face hunger by 2030, compared with 503 million projected before the conflict, the report said.

It also noted that other risks—including extreme weather events such as El Niño in 2026 and 2027—were not included in these projections and could further worsen the outlook.

The report warned that the conflict, combined with extreme weather and declining humanitarian funding, threatens to reverse recent gains in reducing global hunger.

"This report is a stark reminder that food systems fail millions of children and families. Food, health, education and social protection must go hand in hand to protect the most vulnerable children and women from global shocks," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Healthy Diet Now Costs 25% More

Nutritious food has become up to 25 percent more expensive over the past five years, leaving 2.69 billion people—nearly one in three globally—unable to afford a healthy diet.

The average global cost of a healthy diet rose to US$4.28 (PPP) per person per day in 2025, up from US$3.44 in 2021 and US$2.94 in 2017.

Dr Ghebreyesus urged governments to adopt policies that make "healthy food the easy choice," including promoting breastfeeding, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, taxing unhealthy products, and protecting children from harmful food marketing.

"Healthy diets are not a luxury—they are the foundation of health and must be within everyone's reach," he said.