Alzheimer's Disease has been linked to a number of risk factors, including exposure to aluminum.
Now from France comes a report that drinking water with high aluminum concentrations may indeed increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's and dementia.
To summarize:
Researchers determined that a concentration of aluminum in drinking water above 0.1 milligrams/liter may be a risk factor of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Nearly 2,700 individuals were followed for an 8-year period to identify new cases of probable Alzheimer's or other dementing illness.
The sample was divided into 77 drinking water areas, with surveys conducted to determine concentrations of aluminum, calcium, and fluorine in each water supply.
The study authors point out that their findings support those of several other studies linking aluminum to Alzheimer's, but add that "this result needs to be confirmed using a higher number of exposed subjects."
American Journal of Epidemiology 2000;152:59-66.
Another reason to make sure that you limit your water intake to filtered or bottled. Aluminum is an issue but for most, but probably not as significant as the chlorine exposure. Unless you have well water you will also need a filter for your shower as most of us will absorb for more toxins from bathing or showering than we ever will from drinking tap water.
It is intesting to note, however, that a significant amount of the aluminum in tap water is actually added by the water companies as it is used as alum (aluminum sulfate) to remove particulate and organic matter. Click on the following links for more information on this subject (1, 2)