Diacetyl, the artificial butter flavoring, is linked to respiratory disease in workers exposed to it as well as possibly playing a role in causing Alzheimer's disease to occur. Diacetyl increases beta amyloid clumping and enhanced its toxic effect on nerve cells grown in tissue culture. It crosses the blood brain barrier and interferes with Glyoxalase 1's ability to safeguard neurons.
This is a lesson demonstrating that nothing artificial that we add to food is guaranteed to be safe. We should be eating fresh, whole, unprocessed foods rather than food products.
