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Tea, coffee intake decreased likelihood of MRSA nasal carriage
Matheson EM. Ann Fam Med. 2011;9:299-304.
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Hot tea and coffee consumption was associated with a decreased risk for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization, according to Eric M. Matheson, MD, and colleagues.
“While association is not causation, we believe this finding offers promise as a relatively easy and safe way to decrease the risk of MRSA carriage and potentially MRSA infection,” Matheson, of the Medical University of South Carolina, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “However, further studies need to be performed to confirm these findings.”
For the secondary analysis, researchers assessed the association between MRSA nasal carriage and the consumption of coffee, hot tea, cold tea and soft drinks among 5,555 participants included in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Approximately 1.4% of participants had MRSA positive nasal samples.
Compared with those who did not consume hot tea, hot tea drinkers were half as likely to have MRSA nasal carriage (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.31-0.71), even after adjusting for age, race, gender, economic and health status, hospitalization and/or antibiotic use within the last year. Age was categorized into groups: 2 years to 6 years (6.1% of participants); 7 years to 19 years (18.6%); 20 years to 64 years (61.8%); and 65 years and older (13.5%).
Only in the adjusted logistic regression model did those who consumed coffee have half the risk for MRSA nasal carriage compared with those who did not (OR=0.47; 95% CI, 0.24-0.93).
When the researchers assessed the association of combined coffee and tea consumption, the risk for MRSA nasal carriage was still lower than those who did not consume coffee or tea. Conversely, no significant association was found between consumption of iced tea or soft drinks and MRSA nasal carriage.
“Ideally, we should examine the effect of coffee and/or tea vs. placebo on the risk for MRSA nasal colonization among individuals at high risk for MRSA nasal carriage,” Matheson said. – by Ashley DeNyse
Disclosure: Dr. Matheson reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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Matheson and colleagues report a fascinating association between consumption of hot tea and/or coffee and a lower likelihood of MRSA nasal carriage using data from the 2003-2004 NHANES. This survey is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, a component of the CDC and includes a nasal culture for S. aureus carriage among the laboratory data collected. These researchers used complex statistical methods to analyze the data. It turns out that coffee and tea have antimicrobial properties against S. aureus that might be associated with decreased MRSA nasal carriage through systemic absorption or from inhaled vapors from these hot liquids.
This reminds me of the chicken soup story and its effect on cilia and anti-inflammatory properties (Rennard BO. Chest. 2000;118:1150-1157). The investigators did not assess overall S. aureus nasal carriage, which one would also assume to be associated with a decrease in the hot beverage group. Of course, a decrease in S. aureus infection, especially due to MRSA, would be the most important association and that was not examined. So I am not sure how this study will help us, but the people who own Starbucks will be delighted with it.
–Sheldon L. Kaplan, MD
Infectious Diseases
in Children Editorial Board member
Disclosure: Dr. Kaplan reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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