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Popcorn may cause lung disease

According to Cecile Rose, a doctor at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, fumes from microwave popcorn may have led to a “deadly lung disease” in one of her patients.

Rose claims that her patient, who consumed two or more bags of popcorn per day, experienced coughing and breathing difficulty. Medical tests revealed that the patient had bronchiolitis obliterans.

This lung disease was seen about five years ago in popcorn factory workers. The disease may be linked to consumption of diacetyl, a chemical found in microwave popcorn. High levels of diacetyl were detected at the home of Rose’s patient.

Experts have not yet found a direct link between consuming diacetyl and contracting lung disease....