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.

An 84-day clinical trial has found that a high-fibre diet improved blood sugar control and reduced body weight more effectively than metformin, the standard first-line diabetes drug, in adults newly diagnosed with both type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Researchers led by Li Y and colleagues enrolled adults aged 18 to 70 with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to the study published in Frontiers in Microbiology.

Participants were randomly assigned to either a high-fibre dietary intervention, using two standardised fibre formulations plus dietary guidance, or metformin monotherapy, given according to routine clinical practice. Neither group combined the two approaches.

Researchers tracked diet through food frequency questionnaires and 24-hour dietary recalls, and measured outcomes including HbA1c, BMI, fasting blood glucose, and glucose responses during meal tolerance tests.

Fibre beat the drug on blood sugar and weight

By the end of the trial, the high-fibre group had significantly lower HbA1c and BMI than the metformin group, per the study. Continuous glucose monitoring showed the fibre group had more stable blood sugar overall, with lower average glucose levels and less variability throughout the day.

The fibre group also came out ahead on body composition: lower waist-to-hip ratios, lower leg, trunk and total body fat mass, and lower triglyceride levels compared with the metformin group, the researchers reported.

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How the gut bacteria changed

The high-fibre diet reshaped participants’ gut microbiota in ways metformin didn’t. By day 28, the diet had enriched bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera, both generally considered beneficial, while reducing Bilophila wadsworthia, a bacterium linked to gut inflammation, according to the study. Metformin, by contrast, produced little detectable change in gut bacteria.

Several bacterial species associated with fermenting carbohydrates increased specifically in the fibre group. Participants whose acetate levels, a byproduct of that fermentation, rose the most also saw significantly greater drops in HbA1c at both day 28 and day 56, and these participants tended to have distinct gut microbiome profiles at the start of the trial.

Why fibre may work this way

The likely mechanism involves short-chain fatty acids like acetate, produced when gut bacteria ferment fibre. These compounds are thought to boost secretion of GLP-1, the same gut hormone that newer diabetes drugs like semaglutide are designed to mimic, which in turn improves insulin sensitivity and promotes fullness, according to a separate summary of the research by News-Medical.

This isn’t an isolated finding. A separate, smaller crossover trial of 34 newly diagnosed patients, published in a different study, similarly found that early high-fibre nutrition therapy produced rapid improvements in glycaemic control alongside reshaping of the gut microbiome, reinforcing the idea that timing and gut-level changes both matter.

The study’s authors concluded that a high-fibre dietary intervention could be a promising strategy for managing newly diagnosed diabesity, outperforming metformin alone on both blood sugar and weight-related outcomes. They noted that larger trials with longer follow-up are needed to confirm how durable these benefits are and to better understand the exact microbiome mechanisms involved.

Festivals bring family and friends together and all enjoy traditional sweets and savouries to rich gravies and deep-fried delicacies. However, the joy of celebration and eating more than regular can sometimes lead to bloating, acidity, heaviness, gas and discomfort. Understanding how digestion works and how Ayurveda explains it through the concept of Agni can help us celebrate with smoothness in our digestive system.

During festival, we may eat larger portions, enjoy several rich dishes at one meal, or eat again before we feel actual hunger. Digestive discomfort often occurs when we eat food without knowing agni, consume fatty or fried foods, eat too quickly or combine multiple rich dishes in one meal, untimely, without proper digestion of previous meal. For some people, carbonated drinks and particular food can increase gas or bloating. Stomach stretches when we overeat, and high-fat and heavy meals may delay stomach emptying, leaving us feeling uncomfortably full for longer period. Eating rapidly can also cause us to swallow more air. For people prone to acid reflux, large meals may get worsen with heartburn and regurgitation. Occasional bloating after a heavy meal is common.

Ayurveda explain digesting and metabolism through concept of Agni. The concept of Jatharagni relates particularly to the digestion and metabolism of food. Ayurveda also describes Mandagni (diminished digestive capacity) which will be associated with symptoms such as heaviness, reduced appetite and sluggish digestion etc..., from a practical perspective, the Ayurveda emphasis on eating according to digestive capacity, avoiding excessive food intake and maintaining regular dietary habits aligns sensibly with modern nutrition advice. Classical ayurvedic text emphasise the importance of maintaining balance Agni, for overall health, well-being and preventive care; however, Agni is a traditional Ayurvedic concept and should not be directly corelated with any single modern physiological process.

Also read: We Fact Checked The Ayurveda Claim Of Papaya Lowering Your Cholesterol, Details Inside

Five Healthy Eating Habits For Festive Season

1. Portion awareness: Enjoy your favourite dishes of festival but begin with moderate portions. Eat in moderate speed and pause before taking a second serving.

2. Avoid excessive food in one sitting: Multiple preparations which are fried and sugary can make a meal unnecessarily heavy. Choose a balanced plate with vegetables, protein-rich foods and appropriate portions of carbohydrates and Fats.

3. Hydration: Drink warm water regularly throughout the day sip by sip. Limit excessive carbonated beverages if they are causing any discomfort or not.

4. Digestion time: Avoid lying down immediately after meals. A gentle 10–15-minute slow walk after eating may support general digestive comfort, then if needed lie-down on left sided.

5. Routine and mindful eating: Avoid skipping meals to compensate for feasting. Eat when comfortably hungry after analysing agni, pay attention to fullness and maintain regular sleep, physical and mindfulness activities.

Festive eating need not mean deprivation or discomfort. Ayurveda's emphasis on Agni encourages us to respect individual digestive capacity, and guidance from nutrition reinforces moderation, mindful eating and balanced meals. Enjoy the foods you love, savour every bite, observe and recognise when you are comfortably full of stomach.

Seek medical evaluation if bloating is persistent, frequently recurring or accompanied by severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing or any GI related symptoms. Severe or sudden abdominal pain requires urgent medical attention and assessment.

This festive season, let celebration nourish your well-being not leave you feeling weighed down.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

According to Indian food regulations, there is a specified amount of pesticide residue that can legally remain in tea leaves. But the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed new limits for two types of pesticides used in agriculture, including a limit for one that is lower than those in the United States and Japan.

The draft amendment, announced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on October 17, 2026, proposes maximum residue limits (MRLs) for acetamiprid and imidacloprid in tea. The move is aimed to give tea farmers, manufacturers and regulators clearer standards to follow.

Under the proposal, the maximum permitted residue of acetamiprid in tea would be 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), or 20 parts per million (ppm). For imidacloprid, the proposed limit is 50 mg/kg.

The draft regulations were published in the Gazette of India on October 16 and are yet to be finalised. These are proposed legal limits, not measurements showing how much pesticide is present in tea sold in India.

India's Proposed Limits For Pesticide Residue In Tea

India has proposed a limit of 20 ppm for acetamiprid, which is lower than the corresponding limit of 30 ppm in Japan and 50 ppm in the United States. For imidacloprid, the proposed Indian limit has been formulated with reference to international Codex standards.

These figures do not mean that tea sold in the US or Japan necessarily contains more pesticide residue. Maximum residue limits specify the highest concentration legally permitted in a food product. Actual residue levels depend on pesticide use, farming practices, and testing results.

A higher legal limit also does not automatically mean that a food product is unsafe. Risk assessment requires additional information about the pesticide, the amount consumed, the level of exposure and its toxicological profile.

The proposed tea standards are part of FSSAI's review of pesticide residue regulations. The government said an earlier regulatory measure aimed at delisting 13 pesticides that were known to have higher toxicity.

The regulator also highlighted India's comparatively low average pesticide use, at less than 0.5 kg per hectare, against an estimated global average of 2.38 kg per hectare.

Also read: Your Protein Powder May Be Toxic! A New Study Reveals High Levels Of Lead And Cadmium

What Are Acetamiprid And Imidacloprid?

Acetamiprid and imidacloprid belong to a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids. They are used to control agricultural pests. Although they help protect crops, their safety depends on how they are used, the residues left behind and the amount people are exposed to.

Acetamiprid acts on the nervous system of insects. Toxicological research has raised concerns about its potential effects on the nervous system and reproductive development at sufficiently high exposure levels.

Imidacloprid also works the same way and its excessive exposure can cause toxic effects, including neurological symptoms.

The health risks stem from long-term, low-level exposure that depend on the dose, way of exposure and duration. The proposed residue limit alone cannot establish whether a particular tea product poses a health risk.

Also read: Blueberries To Green Beans: Fruits & Vegetables With Maximum Pesticide Content

Health Risks Of Pesticide Residues In Tea

The health risks associated with pesticide residues depend on the chemical involved and how much enters the body. High exposure to certain insecticides can affect the nervous system, while toxicological studies have also investigated possible effects on reproduction.

For consumers, the key question is whether pesticide exposure through food remains within levels considered acceptable under established safety assessments.

Maximum residue limits are designed to help regulate pesticide use. They are generally set using data on pesticide use, residue levels, dietary exposure and toxicological assessments.

The actual exposure for tea drinkers also depends on how much residue remains in the dry leaves and how much transfers into the brewed drink. Residue levels in dry tea cannot be directly compared with the amount consumed in a cup.