Experts point to shocking cause of dementia in some tap water – map shows Britain’s worst affected areas
Millions of people may be up to a third more likely to develop dementia because of their tap water, new research shows.
A first-of-its-kind study suggests that people living in ‘softer water areas’ of Britain – 40 per cent of the UK population, around 27 million Britons – may be at increased risk of the degenerative disease because their drinking water has lower levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Scientists suggest that these minerals may have a protective effect on the brain and say that low levels may also cause water pipes to corrode more quickly, allowing toxic elements such as lead to leak into the body.
Softwater areas include Scotland, most of Yorkshire, Cornwall and the west and south coasts of Wales.
Meanwhile, thousands of people in hard water areas are installing water softeners in their homes to remove magnesium and calcium and prevent limescale.
The study found that people with soft water had structural changes in their brains in 20 different areas, and may also be at risk for other neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The research was based on data from almost 400,000 people in Britain and carried out by a team of scientists from Imperial College London and China.
Dr. Tom Russ, director of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, said: ‘More work needs to be done on every environmental factor that may be linked to dementia, and this shows that water may be part of that. It is important to recognize that the research does not prove that water type contributes to the development of dementia.
A study has found that people living in ‘softer water areas’ of Britain – 40 percent of the UK population, around 27 million Britons – may be at increased risk of the degenerative disease (stock image)
Softwater areas include Scotland, most of Yorkshire, Cornwall and the west and south coasts of Wales
‘There is still a much greater risk of dementia from other risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure and most people should not be overly concerned about the effect tap water could have. If it has any effect, it will be very small.”
In Great Britain, approximately one million people live with a form of dementia. This is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2030.
Research shows that about 45 percent of cases can be prevented by living a healthier lifestyle, challenging your brain and staying connected to other people.
But it is thought that there are also other environmental factors.
Dr Russ’ research has found links between areas with high levels of aluminum and fluoride in drinking water and an increased risk of dying from dementia.
Others have found a link between hard water and a reduced risk of heart disease.
But this latest study is one of the first to look at the impact of calcium levels in tap water on neurodegenerative diseases, and also on the UK population.
Publishing their research, the scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine wrote: ‘We provide new evidence on the harmful effect of soft water on neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the importance of optimizing water quality standards to achieve long-term health benefits term to be guaranteed.’
British regulations do not specify standards for the level of minerals that must be present in drinking water. Water is classified as ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ depending on the local geology.
About 60 percent of the tap water consumed in Britain comes from areas with hard water.
The research was based on data from the UK Biobank, which continuously surveys 500,000 adults across the country. Scientists compared their home addresses and details of their water supply to diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases.
They found that 2,389 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, 1,278 with vascular dementia and 366 with multiple sclerosis.
An analysis found that those exposed to soft water – defined as between zero and 60 mg of calcium carbonate per liter of water – had a 34 percent higher risk of vascular dementia compared to those who had a hard water supply, defined as between 120 and 300 mg. . /L. Low calcium levels were also associated with a 63 percent higher risk of dementia overall and a 53 percent higher risk of MS.
Low magnesium levels were associated with a 25 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
British regulations do not specify standards for the level of minerals that must be present in drinking water. Water is classified as ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ depending on the local geology
Brain scans of more than 30,000 people were also analyzed to see if there were any physical differences. They found that people living in areas with soft to moderately hard water had several parts of their brains that were reduced in volume compared to people living in areas with hard water.
But Awad hesh Jha, professor of genetic toxicology and ecotoxicology at the University of Plymouth, said there are many factors involved in the development of diseases such as dementia.
“It is speculative to draw conclusions based on such associations and recommend regulations to maintain water hardness in drinking water,” he said.
The most densely populated parts of Britain, including the south east, the east of England, the M4 corridor and most of the south coast, live in areas with hard water. The West Midlands, Liverpool, parts of Devon, Northumberland and East Wales have medium to hard supply.
Dr. Emma Anderson, associate professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, said the way the study was conducted was “problematic”.
“Overall, I think this is a poorly conducted study and not one we should be using to assess whether water hardness should be taken more seriously,” she added.