Don’t be so quick to ask for extra butter on your popcorn. A
recent study published in Chemical Research in Toxicology has
found a troubling link between artificial butter flavoring in
microwave popcorn and Alzheimer’s disease. Diacetyl, a flavoring
used to produce the buttery flavor and aroma in microwave
popcorn, has an architecture similar to a substance that makes
beta-amyloid proteins clump together in the brain. This clumping
is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Diacetyl is also used in
margarine, snack foods, candy, baked goods, pet foods, and other
products such as beer and some chardonnay wines. Not the
chardonnay! The substance has been the focus of research
recently because it is linked to respiratory and other problems
in workers at microwave popcorn and food-flavoring factories.
The outcome shows that occupational exposure may also be causing
toxic effects on nerve cells. The views and opinions expressed
here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
views of NBC, NBC 5, NBCDF