IT IS well known that water is essential to life. Our bodies are made up of 65% of water and we cannot survive past three days without it. We can readily see effects if our plants go without water.

If we go without sufficient water over a long period, it is thought that our brain function suffers. This can effect behaviour such as motor skills, memory and speech. The first evidence of this could be dementia.

Close personal experience with a family member who drank very little water over a long period, and who developed dementia, led me to think that there could be a cause for this disability. Another family member developed Motor Neurone Disease and I suspect they were not a big water drinker.

I have great respect for scientists and researchers who are searching for a cure for these disabilities, but it would save an enormous number of lives as well as money and resources if a prevention could be found to be as simple as drinking water in sufficient quantities.

DOUGLAS SNOW North Ipswich

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