Tea and Coffee

Could tea and coffee protect against MRSA? Study shows drinkers half as likely to carry the superbug

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 8:24 AM on 15th July 2011

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People who regularly drink tea or coffee may be less likely to be carriers of the 'superbug' MRSA, according to a U.S. study.
Out of more than 5,500 Americans who took part in a government study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, those who drank hot tea or coffee were about half as likely as non-drinkers to contract methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in their nostrils.  
But exactly what the information means is still unclear, say researchers. 

Put the kettle on! Tea and coffee drinkers are less likely to catch the MRSA bug

'Hot tea and coffee have been found to have antimicrobial properties,' wrote lead researcher Eric Matheson, of the University of South Carolina, Charleston. 
'Consumption of hot tea or coffee is associated with a lower likelihood of MRSA nasal carriage.     
In general, about 1 percent of the U.S. population carries MRSA in the nose or on the skin, but does not get sick.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2014657/Drinking-tea-coffee-protect-MRSA-virus.html#ixzz1SGp7VzKC