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It is common to have some popcorn while you watch a movie, adding a little butter to get the full experience. But, could that popcorn experience be bad for your health. 

Researchers from the Center for Drug Design at the University of Minnesota have suggested that a flavoring - diacetyl - used to produce the buttery flavor and smell of microwave popcorn could be linked to Alzheimer's. 

The study is published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology,

The researchers said diacetyl has also been linked to respiratory and other problems in workers at microwave popcorn and food-flavoring factories. Diacetyl is used in margarines, snack foods, candy, baked goods, pet foods and other products such as beer or some chardonnay wine. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear after age 60. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people.

About 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

Researchers say they have noticed that diacetyl is similar to a substance that makes beta-amyloid proteins clump together in the brain. The clumping is the trademark of Alzheimer's disease.