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Alzheimer’s And Buttery, Buttery Popcorn: A Terrifying Link Emerges

Posted: August 2, 2012
Alzheimer’s And Buttery, Buttery Popcorn: A Terrifying Link Emerges

alzheimers butter flavor

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the larger medical mysteries of our time, with doctors working tirelessly to unlock its causes and determine what may best halt or stop its progress — and a new link has been made between butter flavor and the degenerative brain disease.

Alzheimer’s is not the first condition to be linked to the flavor that gives popcorn its buttery taste, as the condition “popcorn lung” has in the past been linked to inhaling diacetyl (DA.) But new research has found the buttery-flavored compound to possibly be a factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and researchers discovered some troubling effects that they say could hasten the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s link came as researchers probed the neurological toxicity of diacetyl, and the worrying link emerged. Alzheimer’s is known to be characterized by beta-amyloid clumping due to plaques in the brain, and the research team discovered that beta-amyloid clumping resulted from exposure to diacetyl.

According to ScienceDaily, diacetyl has exhibited a few properties of note in relation to Alzheimer’s:

“DA also enhanced beta-amyloid’s toxic effects on nerve cells growing in the laboratory. Other lab experiments showed that DA easily penetrated the so-called ‘blood-brain barrier,’ which keeps many harmful substances from entering the brain. DA also stopped a protective protein called glyoxalase I from safeguarding nerve cells.”

The site quotes researchers in surmising that the Alzheimer’s and butter-flavor link should be examined further as a risk to industry workers:

“In light of the chronic exposure of industry workers to DA, this study raises the troubling possibility of long-term neurological toxicity mediated by DA.”

The Alzheimer’s and buttery popcorn link study appeared in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.



Comments


One Archived Response to “ Alzheimer’s And Buttery, Buttery Popcorn: A Terrifying Link Emerges ”

  1. Joe Lucido
    Aug 13, 2012

    I would caution everyone to take a step back and wait until further studies on this subject can be done, and some better conclusions be made. Over the last year or two so many headlines have been way over the top, or even worse given false hope to the Caregivers and patients of Alzheimer's. In an effort that reporters and their editors make to come up with splashy, flashy headlines, all too often make promises or shout out to the world that they have found a cure or are somehow close to one. Or like in this case a “LINKED” of Alzheimer’s.

    As the director of the Alzheimer’s Research Association, we get so many of our members who get so involved in stories like this, they become concerned or they want the next big thing in a cure. We already have received so many e mails on this subject its ridicules. There is absolutely no evidence, of what this article says about the butter in popcorn being “Linked” of Alzheimer’s. This study has not been done to achieve that goal. Everyone needs to take a step back.

    Joe Lucido
    Director
    Alzheimer’s Research Association.
    http://www.alzra.org