Sniffing pints of beer, glasses of wine or ripe fruit ‘could help slash your risk of Alzheimer’s and even treat cancer’

SNIFFING beer, wine or ripe fruits could help reduce your risk of cancer or Alzheimer’s, a study suggests.

Diacetyl — a natural chemical found in fermenting foods — works similarly to drugs currently used to treat cancer when it is inhaled, researchers found.

GettySniffing beer, wine or ripe fruits could help reduce your risk of cancer or Alzheimer’s, a study suggests[/caption]

The odorant altered the DNA of human, mice and fly cells without even touching them, in a way that could “delay neurodegeneration or memory deficits in diseases”, researchers said.

Professor Anandasankar Ray, of University of California – Riverside, said: “We have shown for the first time that some of these odour molecules to which we are exposed are being absorbed into the cells of our skin, nose, lungs, even probably to the brain through the bloodstream are fundamentally altering gene expression.

“Ours is the first report of common volatiles behaving in this way. It opens an entire field of inquiry. The possibilities are limitless.”

Around 944,000 Brits are currently living with dementia and experts predict the numbers will exceed one million by the end of the decade.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of the neurodegenerative condition, and is thought to be caused by build-ups of proteins in the brain, including tau and amyloid.

There is currently no cure for the disease, although promising drugs to slow down its progress are currently in trials.

More than 3million Brits have cancer currently, with experts expecting rates to reach 5.3million by 2040.

Previous research has shown drugs called HDAC inhibitors may help treat cancer and Alzheimer’s by changing how genes are expressed and reducing inflammation.

Diacetyl is one of the world’s most popular and controversial flavouring agents, which produces a buttery taste and is naturally produced during fermentation — the process behind beer and wine.

The latest study, published in eLife, looked at how diacetyl impacted HDAC enzymes in cells.

They found it inhibits the enzymes, which means DNA becomes less tightly wound in the cells and there is more gene expression — when genes are “turned on” in a cell to make proteins and RNA.

Professor Ray said: “That exposure to an odorant can directly alter expression of genes, even in tissues that have no odorant receptors, came as a complete surprise.

“These molecules are able to get to the cell nucleus through the cell membrane.”

HEALTH WARNING

But that doesn’t mean you should try sniffing large amounts of diacetyl to try and boost your health.

Diacetyl is considered unsafe to inhale at high concentrations, with the chemical linked to a condition called popcorn lung — where the organs scar up.

Professor Ray said: “Our initial discovery was made using diacetyl, as a proof of concept, and this compound may not be the perfect candidate for therapy.

“We are already working on identifying other volatiles that lead to changes in gene expression. 

“Our important finding is that some volatile compounds emitted from microbes and food can alter epigenetic states in neurons and other eukaryotic cells.”