Drinking tap water 'could be putting 27million people at greater risk of dementia'

A groundbreaking study has suggested that millions of people in Britain could be at an increased risk of dementia due to drinking tap water with low mineral content. The research indicates that around 40% of the UK population could be more susceptible to the degenerative disease as their drinking water may lack sufficient levels of calcium and magnesium.

These minerals are believed to have a protective effect on the brain, and their absence could lead to faster corrosion of pipes, potentially introducing harmful elements like lead into the body. The study found that those exposed to soft water, defined as having between zero and 60mg of calcium carbonate per litre, had a 34% higher risk of vascular dementia compared to those with a hard water supply, which contains between 120 and 300mg/L.

Low concentrations of calcium were linked to a 63% higher risk of dementia and a 53% greater risk of MS, while low levels of magnesium were associated with a 25% higher risk of Alzheimer's. Areas with soft water include Scotland, most of Yorkshire, Cornwall, and the west and south coasts of Wales. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter

The research, based on data from nearly 400,000 people in the UK, was conducted by scientists from Imperial College London and China.

Dr Tom Russ, director of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, has stated: "There is more work to be done on any environmental factor that might be linked to dementia, and this shows that water may potentially be a part of that. It's important to recognise that the study doesn't prove that water type contributes to the development of dementia.", reports the Mirror.

He added: "There's still a much bigger risk of dementia from other risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure and most people shouldn't be too worried about the effect that tap water might have. If it has any effect, it'll be very small."

This research was one of the first to explore the potential impact of tap water's calcium on neurodegenerative disease. Scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine said: "We provide new evidence about the harmful effect of soft water on neurodegenerative diseases that highlight the importance of optimising water quality standards to ensure long-term health benefits."

However, their research faced criticism from other scientists who claimed the methodology of the study was "problematic."

Dr Emma Anderson, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at King's College London, commented: "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."

Professor of Genetic Toxicology and Ecotoxicology at the University of Plymouth, Awad Hesh Jha, expressed concerns regarding the research, highlighting that many factors contribute to the development of diseases. "'It is speculative to draw conclusions based on such associations and recommend regulations to maintain water hardness in drinking water," he remarked.

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