Millions of Britons living in freshwater areas could face a much higher risk of developing dementia from tap water, a new study suggests.
A groundbreaking study suggests that 27 million people – representing 40 per cent of the UK population – could be at increased risk of degenerative brain disease because their drinking water contains lower levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
The research, carried out by scientists from Imperial College London and China, found that residents of soft water areas face a 34% higher risk of vascular dementia than those with hard water.
The study found structural changes in 20 different areas of the brain in people living in freshwater regions.
Hard water is considered better to drink due to its lower sodium content, although soft water is known to be gentler on the skin.
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Scientists suggest that minerals in drinking water may have a protective effect on the brain.
Low mineral levels could also cause water pipes to corrode more quickly, potentially allowing toxic elements like lead to leach into drinking water.
The research team analyzed brain scans of more than 30,000 people, finding that those living in areas of soft to moderately hard water had reduced brain volume in various regions compared to residents of hard water areas.
The freshwater areas of the United Kingdom include Scotland, most of Yorkshire, Cornwall and the west and south coasts of Wales.
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Water hardness is determined by local geology, with hard water forming in limestone or chalky areas where rivers help release calcium and magnesium.
The most populated areas of the UK, including the South East, East of England, the M4 corridor and most of the south coast, are served by hard water.
The West Midlands, Liverpool, parts of Devon, Northumberland and East Wales have medium to hard water supplies.
Hard water is considered better to drink due to its lower sodium content, although soft water is known to be gentler on the skin.
The study analyzed data from almost 400,000 people from the UK Biobank, comparing home addresses and water supply details with neurodegenerative disease diagnoses.
The researchers identified 2,389 people with Alzheimer’s disease, 1,278 with vascular dementia and 366 with multiple sclerosis.
People exposed to fresh water – containing between zero and 60 mg of calcium carbonate per liter – had 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.
The results were based on a comparison of exposure to soft and hard water, defined between 120 and 300 mg/L.
Dr Tom Russ, director of the Alzheimer Scotland dementia research centre, urged caution over the findings.
“There is still work to be done on any environmental factors that might be linked to dementia, and this shows that water can potentially be part of that,” he said.
He stressed that the study does not prove that water type causes dementia, noting that other risk factors like smoking and high blood pressure pose greater concerns.
Dr Tom Russ, director of the Alzheimer’s Dementia Research Center in Scotland, urged caution over the findings.
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Dr Emma Anderson, associate professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, criticized the research methodology.
“Overall, I think this is a poorly conducted study and we should not use it to assess whether water hardness should be taken more seriously,” he said. she declared.
Current UK regulations do not specify standards for the level of minerals that must be contained in drinking water.
Around 60 per cent of tap water consumed in the UK comes from areas with hard water.
Scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine wrote: “We provide new evidence on the harmful effect of fresh water on neurodegenerative diseases, which highlights the importance of optimizing standards water quality to ensure long-term health benefits. »
Thousands of homeowners living in hard water areas choose to install water softeners, costing around £500, to remove magnesium and calcium and prevent limescale build-up.
These systems use resin to extract minerals, which are then filtered using a brine solution.