It’s bad news for hipsters but men with beards harbour more germs in their whiskers than dogs carry in their fur.
Recent clinical study at Switzerland hirslanded clinic found that every sampled beard was crawling with bacteria, and nearly half had bugs that were hazardous to human health.
In the study, scientists wanted to discover whether there was a risk that humans might pick up a dog-borne disease from an MRI scanner that was also used for examinations by vets. Researchers took swabs from the beards of 18 men and the necks of 30 dogs, across a range of breeds, and compared the results.
Researchers found a significantly higher bacterial load in specimens taken from the men’s beards compared with the dogs’ fur. The study found all of the bearded men, aged from 18 to 76, showed high microbial counts, but only 23 out of 30 dogs had high counts. The remainder had moderate levels.
Seven men were even found to harbour microbes that posed a threat to human health.
After the MRI exams of the dogs, the scanners were disinfected and showed a ‘significantly’ lower bacteria count compared with levels seen when used by humans.
On the basis of these findings, dogs can be considered as clean compared with bearded men.
FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR DR GOVIND SHUKLA, NUTRITION EXPERT
Govind Shukla, Specializes in Pharmacology, Toxicology, Nutraceuticals & Herbal Drugs has published More than 100 research papers in National & International Journals. He is also a reviewer of International Journal of Pharmacology & pharmacotherapeutics, Chief editor of IJPNR Journal & Freelance Medical Writer for Different publication Groups including Lambert Academic Publishing Saarbrucken, Germany.
