Buttered Popcorn Flavoring Linked to Alzheimer’s
October 18 2012
By Dr. Mercola
If you like to snack on the occasional bag of microwave popcorn,
it's probably the buttery flavoring that you crave.
This comes from an artificial flavoring called diacetyl, which is
a natural byproduct of fermentation found in butter, beer and
vinegar... and also a chemical made synthetically by food companies
because it gives foods that irresistible buttery flavor and aroma.
Many companies who manufacture microwave popcorn have already
stopped using the synthetic diacetyl because it's been linked to
lung damage in people who work in their factories.
But now a new study at the University of Minnesota shows that
diacetyl is not only a risk to workers' lungs... it may also pose a
risk to your brain.
Microwave Popcorn Chemical Linked to Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers conducting test-tube studies revealed that diacetyl
has several concerning properties for brain health. Not only can it
pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is intended to help keep
toxins out of your brain, but it can also cause brain
proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer's-linked form known as beta
amyloid. It also inhibits mechanisms that help to naturally clear
the dangerous beta amyloid from your brain.1
It's not known at this time whether eating diacetyl-containing
foods (it's used not only in microwave popcorn but also in other
snack foods, baked goods, pet foods, some fast foods and other food
products) increases your risk of Alzheimer's, but the finding that
it may contribute to brain plaques linked to Alzheimer's at very low
concentrations is concerning, to say the least.
How many other synthetic chemicals have we been told are
perfectly safe, only to find out over time that they aren't. MSG and
aspartame come to mind... but there are countless others as well.
Removing Diacetyl from Microwave Popcorn Doesn't Make it Safe...
As mentioned, diacetyl is known to cause serious, sometimes
life-threating respiratory illness in microwave popcorn-plant and
flavoring plant workers. Many companies therefore began to stop
using the chemical in their products, replacing it with another
ingredient called 2,3-pentanedione (PD), which is also used to
impart a buttery flavor and aroma.
Now researchers have revealed that PD, too, can lead to
respiratory toxicity similar to that caused by diacetyl.2
The chemical was also capable of pathologically altering the gene
expression in rat brains, leading to neurotoxicity. The study's lead
researcher noted:
"Our study is a reminder that a chemical with a long
history of being eaten without any evidence of toxicity can
still be an agent with respiratory toxicity when appropriate
studies are conducted."
Not to mention, perfluoroalkyls (PFCs), which are chemicals used
to keep grease from leaking through food wrappers, are widely used
in microwave-popcorn packaging. These chemicals
migrate into your food and are processed by your body, where
they can disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones.
PFCs have been linked to infertility, thyroid disease, cancer,
immune system problems, and more.
Most US Corn is Genetically Modified
About 86 percent of all corn crops grown in the United States are
genetically modified (GM), which brings a new set of health concerns
to your microwave popcorn. Interestingly, none of the popcorn is
genetically engineered, however just about all the other corn is,
which is a great reason to avoid it. Additionally, as a grain it
will typically not promote good health for most people.
So-called "Bt corn" is equipped with a gene from the soil
bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces
Bt-toxin – a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain
insects and kills them. This pesticide-producing corn entered the
food supply in the late 1990's, and over the past decade, the horror
stories have started piling up.
Monsanto and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) swore
that the toxin would only affect insects munching on the crop. The
Bt-toxin, they claimed, would be completely destroyed in the human
digestive system and would not have any impact on animals
and humans. The biotech companies have doggedly insisted that
Bt-toxin doesn't bind or interact with the intestinal walls of
mammals, and therefore humans.
However, the corn's Bt-toxin has been detected in the blood of
pregnant women and their babies, as well as in non-pregnant women.
Specifically, the toxin was identified in 93% of pregnant women, 80%
of umbilical blood in their babies, and 67% of non-pregnant women
tested.3
And there's plenty of evidence showing that the Bt-toxin produced in
genetically modified Bt crops like corn is toxic to humans and
mammals and triggers immune system responses. For example,
in government-sponsored research in Italy, mice fed Monsanto's Bt
corn showed a wide range of immune responses, such as:4
- Elevated IgE and IgG antibodies, which are typically
associated with allergies and infections
- An increase in cytokines, which are associated with allergic
and inflammatory responses. The specific cytokines
(interleukins) that were found to be elevated are also higher in
humans who suffer from a wide range of disorders, from arthritis
and inflammatory bowel disease, to MS and cancer
- Elevated T cells (gamma delta), which are increased in
people with asthma, and in children with food allergies,
juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases.
Rats fed another of Monsanto's Bt corn varieties called MON 863,
also experienced an activation of their immune systems, showing
higher numbers of basophils, lymphocytes, and white blood cells.5
These can indicate possible allergies, infections, toxins, and
various disease states including cancer. There were also signs of
liver and kidney toxicity.
For more go to:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/18/microwave-popcorn-causes-alzheimers-disease.aspx?e_cid=20121018_DNL_art_1
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