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Popcorn may cause Alzheimer's disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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A sweetener found in popcorn may be linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, American scientists have concluded.
We are talking about an ingredient called diacetyl, which gives microwave corn its characteristic persistent taste. It is used not only in popcorn, but also in other food products. However, this sweetener may be the cause of the development of an incurable progressive disease - Alzheimer's disease.
Director of the Center for Drug Research at the University of Minnesota Robert Wiens and his colleagues conducted a study that showed that diacetyl is associated with respiratory diseases and other health problems in people in factories that produce popcorn and other products with sweeteners. In addition to popped corn, diacetyl is used in the production of margarine, various types of chips, crackers and similar snacks, candy, flour products, animal feed, beer, some types of wine, etc.
It turns out that diacetyl is structurally similar to substances that cause beta-amyloid proteins to stick together in the human brain. And this accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The study's findings are published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Diacetyl has been shown to increase beta-amyloid accumulation. And in such hazardous industries, constant contact with this sweetener has a toxic effect on the growth of nerve cells, as shown by laboratory experiments. Diacetyl easily penetrates the protective barriers of the brain that stand in the way of many harmful substances.
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