Fact Check: Post claiming eye diseases can be cured by consuming butter is misleading

New Delhi (Vishvas News): A viral post on social media claims that butter is good for blood circulation and also improves eyesight as well as cures diseases related to the eyes. Vishvas News investigated and found the viral post to be misleading. Butter, if taken in moderation, can be a good addition to diet, but medical advice should always be taken.

Claim

A post shared on Instagram reads: “If a person eats butter, his blood circulation remains good and the skin also improves, eating butter increases a person’s eyesight and cures diseases related to eyes.”

The archived version of the post can be checked here.

Investigation

We started our investigation by searching for the benefits of consuming butter. According to Webmd, Butter is a source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Calcium. In moderation, butter can be a healthy part of your diet.

According to American Optometric Association (AOA), Vitamin A is considered to be good food for maintaining eye health. As per observational research, diet can play role in delaying cataracts in humans. In fact, another research suggests, Vitamin A and Vitamin E have a role in preventing Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). But, this may not be possible in all cases.

The causes of an eye disease like Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are multifactorial and include other facts as well such as genetic predisposition, aging, stress, etc.”

We further searched whether diet can cure diseases related to the eyes. We found limited evidence about curing eye diseases or improving vision through diet or through consuming butter.

Vishvas News spoke to Dr. Kartikey Sanghal, Senior eye surgeon, Apollo Spectra Group, and shared the viral post with him. He stated: “Butter contains beta carotene which is a precursor of vitamin A. The main benefit of beta carotene is it reduces the chances of (AMD) age-related macular degeneration. Also, it helps in the health of the cornea and retina. Vitamin E in butter protects from UV rays. Vitamin B 12 is good for the optic nerve because it protects the nerve Vitamin D helps in (AMD). But this solely cannot be treated by consuming butter. It requires proper treatment. Butter, if taken in moderation, can help but medical advice should always be taken.”

The post is shared on Instagram by a user named viral_fact_s. We scanned the page and found that the page has 69.3K followers.