But now other workers exposed to diacetyl -- and possibly consumers as well -- may face another scary risk. University of Minnesota drug-design expert Robert Vince, PhD, and colleagues find that diacetyl causes brain proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer's-linked form called beta amyloid.

Does diacetyl cause dementia?

Occupational exposure to diacetyl among workers in microwave popcorn and food-flavoring factories has been linked with respiratory problems and debilitating lung disease. This new study found evidence that diacetyl could intensify the damaging effects of an abnormal brain protein linked to Alzheimer's disease.

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