I’m a big fan of microwave popcorn so I was disheartened to see dozens of headlines in the past couple weeks that imply the butter flavoring in popcorn could be related to Alzheimer’s. I took a closer look at the information and here’s the rundown:
The claim
Diacetyl, a substance used in butter flavoring, increases beta-amyloid clumping in test tube experiments. It also enhances beta-amyloid’s toxic effects on nerve cells grown in the laboratory. Beta-amyloid is an abnormal protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The methodology
The research was conducted in cell culture, basically in a test tube.
Beyond the headline
Despite the news headlines about this study, diacetyl is no longer used in the popcorn industry! This is because substance was previously shown to have negative respiratory health effects on popcorn factory workers. In addition, while these results were achieved in a test tube, the same findings may not be true inside a person’s brain.
The bottom line
While popcorn lovers probably won’t be exposed to this substance as it’s no longer used in the industry, research on diacetyl could be an interesting new area of research.
For more information on the latest news and developments in Alzheimer’s research, visit www.alz.org/research.
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