If you've been looking for one more thing to worry about,
here it is.
If you're a fan of butter-flavored microwave popcorn, a new study finds
a flavoring used in the product may trigger Alzheimer's disease.
University of Minnesota drug-design expert Robert Vince, PhD, and
colleagues found that diacetyl causes brain proteins to misfold into the
Alzheimer's-linked form called beta amyloid. Vince's team also found
that diacetyl has an architecture similar to a substance that makes
beta-amyloid proteins clump together in the brain -- clumping being a
hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Even more, the popcorn butter flavorant
can pass through the blood-brain barrier and can inhibit the brain's
natural amyloid-clearing mechanisms. Diacetyl, already linked to lung
damage in people who work in microwave popcorn factories, is also used
to produce the distinctive buttery flavor and aroma of margarines, snack
foods, candy, baked goods, pet foods, and even some chardonnays.
(Tipped by JMG reader SIdan)
Reposted from Joe
If you've been looking for one more thing to worry about, here it is.
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