MRSA less likely among tea drinkers
Tea and coffee drinkers are less likely to carry the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in their noses. MRSA is a superbug that is resistant to antibiotics and may cause severe diseases in people with weak immune systems. According to a study from Medical University of South Carolina, drinking either beverage reduces the risk of carrying MRSA by about 50%, whereas drinking both is associated with a 67% decline. While the study did not establish a causal relationship between tea and nasal MRSA carriage, authors of the study suggest that antimicrobial properties of tannic acid and catechins may be responsible. Iced tea drinkers did not benefit from same effects as hot tea drinkers.