Men's Health Women's Health Senior's Health Antioxidants Sports Nutrition Diet & Weight Loss Vitamins & Minerals Herbs Specialty Supplements Targeted Supplements Spa Products Anti-Aging Basics Body Systems Body Structure Book Store Pet Health My Recommendation My Favorite Articles Our Most Popular Specials Bargain Basement Brands

MSM

Health News Archive 77 - Alzheimer's Disease
<<back to structure/function index

• Silica in Drinking Water May Prevent Alzheimer's

Silica in Drinking Water May Prevent Alzheimer's

A high concentration of silica in drinking water seems to protect against Alzheimer's disease, a study in France suggests. The study appears in the April 2005 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Dr. Sophie Gillette-Guyonnet, at Hopital Casselardit in Toulouse, and colleagues studied women enrolled in the Epidemiology of Osteoporosis Study (EPIDOS). The subjects included 7598 women older than 75 years from five cities in France, whose mental acuity was measured at the start of the study between 1992 and 1994.

Their intake of water (tap versus mineral water) was ascertained by questionnaire, and data on levels of silica, calcium, and aluminum were obtained from local water companies and companies distributing mineral water.

Women with normal or higher mental function at the outset had a higher daily silica intake,  The relationship remained statistically significant after taking account of age, location, income, educational level and history of stroke.

In a second phase of the study, women living in Toulouse who had normal or higher cognitive scores were followed for up to seven years. During that time, 60 women developed Alzheimer's disease while 323 maintained normal cognitive function.

The women with Alzheimer's disease were 2.7 times more likely to have daily silica intake considerably lower than those without Alzheimer's disease, the researchers found.  They suggest that silica is a "natural antidote" to aluminum, which has been linked to the formation of so-called senile plaques in the brain.  However, in the current study there appeared to be no relationship between aluminum in drinking water and cognitive function -- but levels of aluminum in the groups studied were very low.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2005.
 

back to top