Is it healthy to wear a beard?

If you were looking for a new antibiotic, where would you start? Someone will say that he would prefer to go to the marshland or to an uninhabited island. Scientists say that this does not need to go to remote areas. And what if you start looking for raw materials by combing out a thick male beard?

Readiness for the most unexpected experiments

Physicians constantly put experiments and experiments. Sometimes the search for new drugs does challenge science and make a real breakthrough in medicine. So, a recent discovery has discovered bacteria that can help in the production of a new type of antibiotic. The most surprising in this discovery is the availability of raw materials. It turns out that the bacteria that contains the male beard can have a beneficial effect on the health of millions of people.

Fashion on the beard has returned

As you can see, the fashion on the beard has returned. And now every second fashionist considers it his duty to let go of his face dense vegetation.

The beard has ardent opponents

However, opponents of this "decoration" express their judgments. They believe that the process of germination of hairs on the face is quite painful. Well, if you endure for a while and get the desired vegetation, then you can say goodbye to hygiene. And indeed, the iron argument of opponents of the beard is the fear for their own health. So, in a recent study in New Mexico, scientists found in the vegetation on the face traces of intestinal bacteria, the same ones that are usually found in feces. Note that the results are based on a random sample. In order to form a complete picture, it is necessary to address, at least, to several independent tests.

Can beards be the carriers of nosocomial infections?

A recent scientific study, which was conducted in one of the American hospitals, received quite contradictory conclusions. Experts examined bacteria from the face of 408 physicians and personnel, both with and without beards. In fact, there were good reasons for this.

Scientists say that nosocomial infections are the main cause of death in hospitals. Many patients go to hospital for treatment, get infections that they did not have before hospitalization. And it is customary to blame the dirty hands of the staff, the white coats not squashed, the disinfected accessories and not even the ties. It's time to test your beards.

Surprising results

Researchers were very surprised when they found on the faces of shaved doctors more bacteria than bearded. It turned out that in the conditions of hospital wards methicillin-resistant staphylococcus was attached to smooth skin on cheeks three times more often. As we know, this bacterial strain is most resistant to many of the available antibiotics. It is he who is the main source of nosocomial infections.

Why is this happening?

Scientists immediately put forward a hypothesis. Shaving causes irritation and microcurrents on the skin. It is these injuries that can cause real bacterial colonization. It turns out that the benefits of a beard do exist.

The search for new raw materials for antibiotics

However, the inquisitive minds of scientists did not dwell on the results achieved. It was decided to study in detail the microflora of the beard. Selected samples were sent to microbiologist Adam Roberts, an employee of University College London. So, from the human beard scientist managed to grow more than 100 different bacteria, including the one that is in the small intestine. However, this does not mean that the bearded do not follow the hygiene. According to the expert, this is a normal picture, and men with vegetation on the face have nothing to worry about.

About the benefits of microorganisms

Most often we see in the germs of our enemies. But for many thousands of years they compete hard with each other at a bacterial level. They are fighting for food, resources and space. Over time, these microorganisms evolved, and, eventually, mankind was able to obtain from them a powerful weapon in the fight against their brethren. So we got antibiotics. As is known, penicillin was originally withdrawn from fungal spores by Alexander Fleming.

The world has long needed a new antibiotic

So can mysterious microbes from a beard, like spores, destroy their fellow humans? The scientist is still cautious in answering this question, but he does not lose hope. One of the types of "silent assassins" was identified by Robert as a staphylococcus epidermal. It turned out that this type of bacteria can easily cope with the E. coli E. coli, which causes infection of the genitourinary system.

Conclusion

The testing of a new antibiotic is postponed indefinitely. This is too expensive, and the risks of negative results are also great. However, the scientist does not lose optimism and is looking for new ways of using microorganisms grown from a male beard. Over the past 30 years, no new antibiotics have emerged in the world.