Even short-term exposures to a natural byproduct of the coffee roasting process can damage the lungs when paired with a second insult, like the flu, a study with mice shows.
Researchers have known for two decades that chronic exposure to high levels of a flavoring chemical called diacetyl, which is found in many foods and beverages, can cause lung damage
Researchers first linked diacetyl, which gives microwave popcorn its buttery flavor, to flavorings-related lung disease in the early 2000s when a group of former microwave-popcorn factory workers came down with the illness. More recently, a similar lung disease has been seen among coffee roasters who inhale large concentrations of diacetyl, a natural byproduct of the coffee roasting process….