Hot Tea and Coffee Found to Prevent MRSA Nasal Carriage in the US population

Guess what's scarier than Donnie Pfaster from the X-files? DRUG RESISTANT BACTERIA!!

No matter what we do, these tiny but mighty beings always tend to outdo our only military defense- The Antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), one of the most annoying bacteria, more so when it becomes resistant to beta lactum antibiotics including methicillin (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), is a major cause of innumerable infections that are sometimes even fatal.

What's the scare?

According to CDC reports, more Americans died of MRSA infections than AIDS, in 2005! Staph most commonly causes wound and skin infections, food poisoning, and toxic shock syndrome, apart from being one of the major culprits in hospital acquired infections. It can be anywhere in the environment, waiting to prance on anyone with an open wound, unhygienic habits or someone who is weakened because of a particular disease. A major cause of concern is the fact that many people carry the bacteria in their noses, literally, without even knowing it! These are called nasal carriers, and are responsible for spreading the incidence of this bacteria.

The relief

Ahhh the relief!!! Thanks to science and researchers, we now know that drinking "HOT" tea and coffee actually reduces the chances of being nasal MRSA carriers. A number of compounds such as trigonelline and glyoxal in coffee, and polyphenolic compounds in tea possess antimicrobial activity. In a study titled, "Tea and Coffee Consumption and MRSA Nasal Carriage", published in the Annals of Family Medicine in July 2011, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina found that drinking hot, not cold, tea and coffee reduced the likelihood of being a nasal MRSA carrier. About 5,555 participants were assessed in this study, and so the findings are pretty solid.

Why hot and not cold?

Well, the researchers could not ascertain the reason behind this, but they gave two possible reasons: One is that "iced tea has lower levels than hot tea of polyphenolic compounds per unit volume, because many of the compounds in tea are more soluble at higher temperatures", and the other possible explanation given is that by drinking hot tea and coffee, the volatile antimicrobial compounds reach the nose in vapor form.

 So the next time you grab a cuppa hot coffee, don't forget to smell it to your heart's content!