One of the ingredients in butter-flavored popcorn increases the risk of Alzheimer's , according to a new study from the University of Minnesota (USA). It is diacetyl , a substance that, in addition to giving flavor to popcorn that is cooked in the microwave, is present in margarines, as well as in some snacks and candies. As explained by Robert Vicen and his colleagues in the latest issue of the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology , diacetyl has a molecular structure very similar to the substance that causes beta-amyloid proteins to precipitate in the brain and form disease-causing plaques. Alzheimer's. According to the researchers, this explains why experiments show that diacetyl accelerates the onset of this neurodegenerative disease.
As if that were not enough, experiments in the laboratory show that, in addition to promoting the formation of beta-amyloid plaques, this substance easily crosses the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain from dangerous substances, why chronic exposure to this substance, especially in workers who use it on a daily basis during the manufacture of products in the food industry, it can cause long-term neurological toxicity.
