Washington, March 14 (ANI): Think twice before having artificial butter flavoured popcorn the next time - for a new study has found that exposure to a chemical called diacetyl, a component of artificial butter flavouring, can be harmful to lungs.
Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that exposure to diacetyl can cause a serious condition that can lead to obliterative bronchiolitis or "popcorn lung."
Experiments showed that mice that inhaled diacetyl vapors for three months developed lymphocytic bronchiolitis-a potential precursor of obliterative bronchiolitis.
None of the mice, however, were diagnosed with the more-serious disorder.
Obliterative bronchiolitis is a life-threatening lung disease that has been detected in workers who inhale significant concentrations of the flavoring in microwave popcorn packaging plants.
"This is one of the first studies to evaluate the respiratory toxicity of diacetyl at levels relevant to human health. Mice were exposed to diacetyl at concentrations and durations comparable to what may be inhaled at some microwave popcorn packaging plants," said Daniel L. Morgan, Ph.D., head of the Respiratory Toxicology Group at the NIEHS and co-author in a release on the study.
Although exposure of laboratory animals by inhalation closely duplicates the way humans are exposed to airborne toxicants, the study points out that some anatomical differences between the mice and humans may account for why the nasal cavity of mice is more susceptible to reactive vapors than that of humans. Another reason may be that mice breathe exclusively through their noses.
The researchers also speculate that the extensive reaction of diacetyl vapors in the nose and upper airways of mice may have prevented toxic concentrations from penetrating deeper in the lung to the bronchioles or tiny airways where obstruction occurs in humans.
When the mice were exposed to high concentrations of diacetyl using a method that bypasses the nose, the researchers found lesions partially obstructing the small airways. More studies are under way to determine if these lesions progress to OB in mice.
The authors conclude that these findings suggest that workplace exposure to diacetyl contributes to the development of obliterative bronchiolitis in humans, but said more research is needed.
The study appears online in the journal, Toxicological Sciences. (ANI)
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Dear Sunkan
I accepted your compliments with all my humility!
For my beloved wife this is very harmful!!! as per her mood?, for friends it does not work all the time as I am no good to do perfect job and For those greedy animals, it depends on the weight and colour of the currency.
For the first case, It do hamper my peace for the second it create social problem and for the third it damages the health of my bank balance!!!
Regards and be happy.
Chanchal
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dear mythili,
u can make pop corn at home and with good butter, just add enough to roll on the seeds of corn in a pressure cooker and close it once it is hot, u can also add flavours like pepper or chillie powder or powdered mint and coriander and so on and once it starts popping with all the flavour it is good for you, there to get the aroma who knows what all he adds, pop corn is very good for health, and adnan sami reduced eating that, so not to worry..just lessen the fat in the butter..sunkan
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Very informative article .I am very fond of these popcorna.Now I have to say goodbye,with all my present health prblems,I cant afford to have anymore.
Mythili
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Thats very informative..
Cheers
Meera
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chanchal u r very chanchal, may be it is possible after all u should know that better than any one, did u get ur job done with out health problem??/ sunkan
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dear rajaputhran,
agreed anything in excess is troublesome, but here just the butter get out of it to get the goodness of popcorn..sunkan
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when we goout
we take butter pop corns
espceially in forum
now we should stop that..
thanks...
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Sunkan:
You are very good at creating a scare ! The report says one stupid idiot died after consuming popcorn twice daily for ten long years. If nothing else, for this type of crass idiocy he deserved to die !!!
Secondly, only mice have been exposed to this danger. So long as men do not become laboratory mice, and eat every thing in moderation, I think they should be alright? Don't you think so?
My relative who was very fond of Potato, ate four Masala dosais, one night and the next day morning he was not alive to see the sun rise. Does it mean that eating Masala Dasais are injurious to health ?
Alavukku Minjinal Amrithamum Visham.
A research study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences shows that a substance used to flavor popcorn causes a very dangerous lung disease called lymphocytic bronchiolitis (among lab. mice.)
Tests have proved that diacetyl, the compound that gives popcorn the artificial butter flavor, is harmful to the nose and airways of mice.
The tests involving mice showed that the mice exposed to diacetyl vapors for three months developed lymphocytic bronchiolitis, which usually leads to OB. Symptoms of OB usually include cough and difficult breathing.
“This is one of the first studies to evaluate the respiratory toxicity of diacetyl at levels relevant to human health. Mice were exposed to diacetyl at concentrations and durations comparable to what may be inhaled at some microwave popcorn packaging plants,” said Daniel L. Morgan, Ph.D., head of the Respiratory Toxicology Group at the NIEHS and co-author of the study, according to Science Daily.
While the risk for popcorn consumers to develop obliterative bronchiolitis is relatively low, a case reported certainly suggests that long-term consumption of butter-flavoured popcorn can lead to the dangerous disease. The case involved a man who ate popcorn twice a day for ten years until he was diagnosed with OB. - By Ona Zachary . March 16th 2008
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Is_Popcorn_Dangerous_for_Our_Lungs_15202.html
PS : If this is the first study, then why jump the gun? Are the American Scientists in -falliable? Bloody muck raking idiots, morons, and juvenile imbeciles.
Sorry, this is my considered opinion about these learned and educated quacks from the US of A.
Regards.
Rajaputhran.
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sunkan,
Interesting info...I have no probs in not having the taste of butter...am not fond of it or ghee....
Lakshmi
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Dear Sunkan
I am forbidden by my friendly doctor to use that dreadful thing butter.
I only use it very often on my beloved wife, sparingly on my friends and on rare occasion to grease the palm of greedy officials.
I would like to know from you, if this artificial scent of butter can perform in the same manner, for which I use it.
With Regards
Chanchal
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