A buttery food flavouring ingredient found in microwave popcorn could intensify the damaging effects of abnormal brain proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, a recent study has suggested.Diacetyl (DA), an artificial food flavouring that gives popcorn and margarine its distinctive butter taste, encourages beta-amyloid proteins in the brain to ‘clump’ together, according to findings published in the Chemical Research in Toxicology journal.
Ask anyone who’s lost anyone they have loved to Alzheimer’s disease.
They will tell you unequivocally the illness that unforgivingly erases the minds of its sufferers, leaves behind unforgettable, heartbreaking memories with loved ones.
With Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., there is no cure, no prevention – and no doubt the 18 million sufferers worldwide, will double by 2025, according to the World Health Organization.
Twenty-five years before the first clinical symptoms, Alzheimer’s disease has already produced permanent changes in the brain. New research published in the New England Journal of Medicine traces the timeline of the disease, challenging current perceptions about this devastating form of dementia.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be difficult and overwhelming. Dealing with repeated questions can be a challenge and disruption throughout the day. Many caregivers are so focused on the tasks of care giving that they do not recognize the losses in their own life.
A study by US scientists found that elderly people who eat fish at least once a week are three to five times less likely to develop the conditions than people who did not.But it is essential that the fish is cooked in a manner that preserves the vital Omega-3 fatty acids which help protect the brain, researchers said.
The pharmaceutical industry has beat a concerted retreat from developing drugs for diseases that affect the brain, stymied by the lengthy development times for these agents and a string of failures. Despite the evident risks, a new study shows how industry leaders should perhaps be taking the long view.