It has been a little over a year since that article came out claiming that beards contained as much fecal matter as the average toilet bowl. New research suggests the contrary. Not only that, but beards may contain antibiotic properties.



A team of microbiologists at University College London, located in the United Kingdom, has been trying for years to come up with a solution to overcome drug resistant bacteria. This problem of antibiotic resistant infections affects over 2 million people in the United States alone, killing more that 23,000 Americans a year. That being said, it appears we may need new antibiotics.



Do beards contain fecal matter? NO! One study last year suggested that beards contained the same bacteria found in the digestive system. However, there is no substance to these findings! Traces of Barnesiella, a bacteria found in the small intestine were identified, but this doesn’t mean that it came from fecal matter. Many men’s beards have fallen to these false claims. Professor Hugh Pennington of the University of Aberdeen stated, “It’s not problematic and it’s not a health risk”. This man is an emeritus professor of bacteriology!

A study was performed that found that the bacteria from the beard samples that were taken were actually able to kill the indicator strains of bacteria and appeared to be producing antibiotics! A bacterium called Staphylococcus epidermis effectively launched an attack, killing a form of E-coli, which is drug-resistant. Researchers believe that as certain bacteria evolve to become drug resistant, other forms evolve to produce toxins that kill the drug-resistant strains. They describe the beard as a competitive environment for bacteria. With a limited food source, they are forced to adapt to survive. This causes the production of an arsenal such as antibiotics.

Previous studies have found that clean-shaven men are more likely to be colonized by staph infection (MRSA), which is an anti-bacteria resistant infection. Beards could be a key element in the fighting of these types of infections!



This should be reassuring to our bearded brethren, however it will most likely be a long time before doctors will be prescribing antibiotics derived from beard bacteria. It may turn out to be just a novel antibiotic with no real world use, but they’re working on it and I’d like to think we’re saving the world one beard at a time!

References

APUA, New antibiotic development: barriers and opportunities in 2012, accessed 9 February 2016.

BBC, Are beards unhygienic?, accessed 9 February 2016.

BBC News, Are beards good for your health?, accessed 9 February 2016.

CDC, About antimicrobial resistance, accessed 9 February 2016.

CDC, Antibiotic resistance threats in the US, 2013, accessed 9 February 2016.



