People, who consume tea or coffee regularly, get infected with MRSA superbacterium less frequently than those who do not

The study, which has been conducted with participation of more than 5,500 Americans, showed that MRSA bacteria were found by 50% less frequently in noses of those people who like tea and coffee.

Scientists of Medical University of South Carolina (the USA) decided to conduct an experiment when they had noticed antisuperbacterial activity of tea extract in the laboratory dish. The same effect was seen when a person had inhaled tea extract.

Coffee has similar antibacterial properties. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, are bacteria resistant to chemically modified penicillin. They are the reason of one of the most widespread hospital-acquired infections. Symptoms of the disease vary from rash to pneumonia, abscess and sepsis. Most frequently people with depressed immunity suffer from MRSA. In 2005 MRSA caused serious diseases in 95,000 Americans, 19,000 of which died.

Little part of the population – about one per cent – has MRSA in the nose or on the skin, but do not fall ill.

Adopted from: Eurolab.