Artificial Butter Flavoring Ingredient Linked to Key Alzheimer's Disease Process

ScienceDaily (Aug. 1, 2012) — A new study raises concern about chronic exposure of workers in industry to a food flavoring ingredient used to produce the distinctive buttery flavor and aroma of microwave popcorn, margarines, snack foods, candy, baked goods, pet foods and other products. It found evidence that the ingredient, diacetyl (DA), intensifies the damaging effects of an abnormal brain protein linked to Alzheimer's disease.

• DA gives microwave popcorn its distinctive buttery taste and aroma. DA also forms naturally in fermented beverages such as beer, and gives some chardonnay wines a buttery taste. 
• DA 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. 
• DA did increase the level of beta-amyloid clumping. 

維基百科/阿兹海默病：

阿茲海默病（英语：Alzheimer's disease，簡稱AD），或稱腦退化症（舊譯為阿尔茨海默病、老人失智症／老年痴呆症，英语：Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type，簡稱SDAT），是一种持续性神经功能障碍，也是失智症中最普遍的成因。

Journal Reference:

1. Swati S. More, Ashish P. Vartak, Robert Vince. The Butter Flavorant, Diacetyl, Exacerbates β-Amyloid Cytotoxicity. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2012; : 120706140246003 DOI: 10.1021/tx3001016