title: Tea and coffee consumption and MRSA nasal carriage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hot tea and coffee have been found to have antimicrobial properties. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the consumption of tea, coffee, or both is associated with less frequent nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a secondary analysis of data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to investigate the relationship between the consumption of coffee, hot tea, cold tea, and soft drinks, and MRSA nasal carriage among the noninstitutionalized population of the United States.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 2.5 million persons (1.4% of the population) were MRSA nasal carriers. In an adjusted logistic regression analysis controlling for age, race, sex, poverty-income ratio, current health status, hospitalization in the past 12 months, and use of antibiotics in the past month, individuals who reported consuming hot tea were one-half as likely to have MRSA nasal carriage relative to individuals who drank no hot tea (odds ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.71). Similarly, individuals who reported consuming coffee had about a one-half reduction in the risk of MRSA nasal carriage relative to individuals who drank no coffee (odds ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.93).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consumption of hot tea or coffee is associated with a lower likelihood of MRSA nasal carriage. Our findings raise the possibility of a promising new method to decrease MRSA nasal carriage that is safe, inexpensive, and easily accessible.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Matheson@musc.edu
authors: Eric M
authors: EM
authors: Matheson
authors: Arch G
authors: AG
authors: Mainous
authors: Charles J
authors: CJ
authors: Everett
authors: Dana E
authors: DE
authors: King
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003069:Coffee; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013662:Tea; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003069:Coffee; D013662:Tea