Map reveals where people may be protected from dementia based on their TAP WATER after concerning study
DIFFERENT areas of the UK have been found to be at risk of different diseases.
Studies have shown people living in deprived areas are more likely to die from heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, mainly due to poverty, unhealthy lifestyles, and lack of access to healthcare.
And living in certain areas of the UK could mean you’re more protected against degenerative diseases like dementia – after new research suggested a link with the tap water you drink.
Tap water in the UK can taste and smell different from place to place, and it’s all down to local geology affecting the mineral content of the water source.
Areas with ‘hard’ water (high mineral content) taste noticeably different from areas with ‘soft’ water (low mineral content).
But the levels of minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, potassium and zinc, in your water doesn’t only determine if water is hard or soft.
A study, published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, examined the risk of drinking soft and hard water and developing dementia.
The researchers analysed data from almost 400,000 people in the UK and found that those living in soft water areas had a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
They also found those most vulnerable to the potentially harmful effects of soft water were people living in urban areas and aged over 65.
One theory is that the high mineral content may protect the brain.
The north of Scotland has the softest water in the UK, which is due to the minimal chalk content in the geology.
Most of Devon and Cornwall in the south, North Yorkshire and Cumbria in the north and the western counties of Wales have soft to moderately soft water.
Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Lancashire down through the Midlands tend to have slightly hard to moderately hard water.
The South and East of England have the hardest water in the UK.
This is because the bedrock in these areas is made of chalk and limestone, which release more minerals into the water than the granite in the North and West.
Dr Tom Russ, director of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, told the Daily Mirror it’s important to recognise the study doesn’t prove water type contributes to the development of dementia.
He said: “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.”
Dr Russ 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.”
The study defined soft to moderately hard water as between zero and 120mg calcium carbonate per litre of water, and found it to increase the risk of vascular dementia compared to those with a hard water supply.
Low levels of magnesium were associated with a 25 per cent higher risk of dementia.
The authors of the study said: “Our study proposes the role of water with low mineral content as a relevant risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders through long-term and accumulative exposure, strengthening and complementing the human health effect of water hardness.
“We provide new evidence about the harmful effect of soft water on neurodevelopmental disorders that highlight the importance of optimising water quality standards to ensure long-term health benefits.”
Some scientists have questioned the study’s methodology.
Dr Emma Anderson, associate professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, told the Mirror: “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.”
Awadhesh Jha, professor of genetic toxicology and ecotoxicology at the University of Plymouth, added: “It is speculative to draw conclusions based on such associations and recommend regulations to maintain water hardness in drinking water.”
Other ways tap water may impact health
While this study is said to be the first to look at the link between water and neurodevelopmental disorders, it’s not the first time tap water’s impact on health has been studied.
Research has suggested hard water may have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease (CVD) because of its magnesium content.
But the evidence is debated.
Research by Dr Cecilie Dahl, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Oslo in Norway, suggests higher levels of minerals in hard water may be linked to reduced risk of bone fractures.
“Magnesium appears to play a significant role in these protective effects,” she told Good Health.
A number of studies have shown possible links between drinking hard water and reduced risk of some cancers, including gastric cancer.
But one area of health that tap water definitely seems to affect is hair and skin.
Hard water can make your skin and hair dry, itchy, and brittle, while soft water can make your skin and hair feel smoother and silkier.
Tap water safety from the NHS
The NHS says tap water in the UK is generally safe to drink but if you have a very low CD4 cell count you need to take extra steps to ensure you don’t get an infection from it.
The safest option is to boil your drinking water for at least one minute, allow it to cool and then store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours in a clean bottle or covered jug.
It can then be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruit and vegetables and for making ice.