title: The effects of regular hot black tea consumption on nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the possible relationship between oral consumption of hot black tea and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage in a mid-sized town population in central Anatolia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal swabs were taken from a total of 109 subjects (53 females, 56 males; mean age 34.4 years; range 18 to 65 years) including 55 non-tea drinkers and 54 subjects consuming more than 10 cups of tea a day. The MRSA positivity in the nasal cultures was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the tea consumer group MRSA was cultured in 10 subjects. Twenty-one subjects' nasal cultures were positive for MRSA in the non-tea drinkers. We found a statistically significant difference in the nasal MRSA carriage among tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study findings indicate a lower incidence of nasal MRSA carriage in tea drinkers, suggesting that certain soluble tea compounds may exhibit some antibacterial properties when consumed orally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medical Faculty of Bozok University, 66000 Yozgat, Turkey. mzeliha19@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Zeliha Kapusuz
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Gencer
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozkırış
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balcı
authors.forename: Yalçın
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Erdoğan
authors.forename: Nezihe
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saydam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001628:Beverages; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013662:Tea; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013662:Tea