Add one to the OK list for coffee and tea drinkers
Coffee and tea have long been known to have antimicrobial benefit. Because of this knowledge, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina decided to study whether drinking these beverages impacted the carrier rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the multi-drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA.
An estimated 3-million Americans are carriers of MRSA. This represents almost two percent of the population. By monitoring nasal swab cultures, the university scientists were able to demonstrate a 50 percent reduction in carrier state of MRSA in individuals who drink coffee and or tea. No reduction in carrier state was seen in people who drink sodas, even if they contain caffeine.