Srijana Das’s piece  in the Times of India 15th January 2026 edition, on the vegetarian Presidential banquets, glosses over a critical health reality: vegetarianism, far from being a universal salve, can fuel chronic inflammation—the true driver of heart disease, diabetes, and more, as I detailed in my earlier analysis. (drspmathew.com/2016/04/02/inflammation-the-real-cause-of-heart-disease/).

The article invokes Gandhi’s ethical vegetarianism amid 19th-century industrial cruelty.  But true non-violence starts with loving neighbors as oneself (echoing Leviticus 19:18), rendering animal-focused ahimsa hollow without it

Modern science also reveals a darker side when you try to misinterpret Ahimsa to include animals. Strict plant-based diets often lack animal-derived nutrients like B12, heme iron, and preformed vitamin A, leading to gut dysbiosis.

This imbalance unleashes lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria, triggering endotoxemia—a low-grade inflammatory storm. Combined with high-carb, omega-6-heavy vegetarian staples (think refined grains and seed oils), it oxidizes LDL cholesterol, forming plaques that clog arteries. Studies like those in Open Heart (2017) confirm: vegetarians show higher oxidized LDL and homocysteine levels, elevating cardiovascular risk despite lower total cholesterol.

India’s vegetarian-heavy population bears this out—our nation leads globally in diabetes (101 million cases, IDF 2021) and heart disease, with metabolic syndrome rampant even among non-obese youth.

Moringa soup and banana blossoms at Rashtrapati Bhavan sound sustainable, but without balanced animal proteins, they risk perpetuating this inflammatory epidemic.

Flexitarianism, as suggested, is wiser, but glorifying vegetarianism ignores how saturated fats from meat and dairy actually suppress inflammation via anti-inflammatory resolvins and protectins (per Nutrients 2019 reviews).

Environmentally, yes, rethink industrial meat [the environmental toll of industrial meat production]—but demonizing all animal foods overlooks regenerative grazing, which sequesters carbon and restores soil.

True whole-person care demands nuance: empathy for animals, yes, but evidence-based nutrition to combat India’s NCD crisis.

As a physician and Medical Director, I’ve seen patients reverse metabolic inflammation by incorporating quality animal foods. Studies have shown that  diet high in beef tallow and other such saturated fats but very low in polyunsaturated oils actually results in less inflammation than a diet rich in polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Let’s redefine celebratory cuisine with wisdom that truly heals bodies.

Let truth prevail. Jai Hind!

Dr. SP Mathew
Medical Director, Shalom Lifecare
Mumbai