Toulouse: Elderly women are less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s if they drink plenty of water containing the trace mineral silicon.

Doctors in Toulouse, France, carried out research on some 7,968 women over a seven year period. They discovered that women with lower intakes of water performed worse on cognitive function than those with higher intakes.

Those who went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease were three times as likely to have had low intakes of silicon from water.

The richest ditary sources of silicon are grains such as whet, oats and rice. Unrefined soy products also contain relatively large amounts and it can also be taken as a supplement.

Silicon has no known effect on the brain but it does inhibit the absorption of aluminium and increases its extretion in urine. Aluminium is a toxic metal thought to play a role in dementia and has been used in cooking pans.

Doctors believe that silicon make prevent the accumulation of aluminium in the brain.