Why peanuts and cashews are actually your heart’s best friends

Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar is challenging the status quo on heart health, urging families to stop fearing traditional foods.

In a recent video, the expert behind Kareena Kapoor’s fitness explained that staples like peanuts, coconuts, and cashews are unfairly vilified.

She clarified: "First of all, there is absolutely no cholesterol in these foods. Neither cashews, nor coconut, nor peanuts contain cholesterol. You can eat them without worry."

Diwekar identifies alcohol, not nuts, as the true threat. She dismissed the "moderate drinking" narrative as clever marketing, asserting: "Alcohol of any kind, in any quantity, is bad for your health. It is harmful to your arteries and veins, your brain, your heart, and most importantly, your family."

Beyond biological damage, she noted the social stress alcohol causes within households.

She argued that the industry has successfully marketed "chakna" or snacks as the enemy while portraying alcohol as a friend, but added: "This is just marketing."

The conversation also shifted to environmental factors often ignored in clinical advice. Diwekar linked heart health to urban infrastructure, noting that air pollution and soul-crushing traffic jams prevent people from exercising.

Broken footpaths, she argued, stop us from walking to work or seeing friends. To truly protect the heart, she suggests focusing on the bigger picture: cutting out alcohol and advocating for walkable, cleaner cities.

"If we focus on these most basic things, we will keep our heart, mind, and body in good health," she concluded, bringing a grounded, human perspective to cardiac care.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.