What is MRSA? MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a term for specific strains of staph bacteria that are heavily resistant to a number of antibiotics, particularly methicillin.

In a recent article published in Medical News Today, it was revealed that MRSA infection has seasonal and age group preferences. According to the latest nationwide study authored by John Hopkins researcher Dr. Eili Klein, young children make easy targets for MRSA infection during summer, while senior citizens are found to have the highest chance of catching it during winter.

There are two types of MRSA infection:

• Health-Care Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) – In the study, Dr. Klein found out that the winter strain that infects seniors at a greater rate is commonly acquired in the hospital and is found to be resistant to more types of antibiotics. He also points out that the overwhelming prescription of antibiotic drugs during winter may be one of the main reasons.

Hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers, and other health-care settings are notoriously known as MRSA breeding grounds. In these environments, infection can show up in surgical wounds, around feeding tubes, catheters, or other invasive devices.

• Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) – On the other hand, the study shows that the summer strain of MRSA, which is visibly seen with mounting frequency in children, is largely a community-transmitted strain resistant to fewer antibiotics.

Based on a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), community-associated MRSA accounts for approximately 14 percent of MRSA infections. People with this type of infection had no recent exposure to any health-care type facility and were found to be otherwise healthy.

Currently, it’s still unknown to experts why these seasonal and age group infection preferences occur, or why some people’s MRSA are milder or deadlier than other’s.

Img: What is MRSA by http://commons.wikimedia.org/

How Safe Are You from MRSA?

MRSA staph bacteria are known to dwell on the surface of the skin.  The first sight of MRSA symptoms typically starts out as small, reddish, pimple-like bumps or boils, which when aggravated can progress into deep, painful, swollen, and pus-filled wounds.

In worst cases, where the bacteria penetrate past the skin and deeper into your body like in the bloodstream, MRSA starts infecting and wreaking havoc in the lungs, heart, bones, and joints. This is where more serious MRSA symptoms develop.

MRSA is spread through direct contact. This means you can get it by touching an infected person or things that are contaminated with the MRSA virus.  But there are also many factors that make you vulnerable and increase your risks of MRSA infection, such as:

• Recent antibiotic use
• Living in overpopulated environments such as military or prison
• Participation in contact sports
• Poor hygiene
• A weakened or compromised immune system

To protect yourself from MRSA and other infectious diseases regardless of your age or the current season, follow these practical tips:

• Practice regular handwashing, but avoid antibacterial soaps.
• Avoid sharing personal items.
• Avoid eating sugars, refined carbs, and processed foods.
• Avoid or wash up immediately after going to MRSA-infection hotspots (e.g., gyms, barracks, prisons, schools, hospitals, etc.)
• Load up on probiotic-rich foods like fermented foods

The “MRSA-nator” 

Because strengthening your immune system is the ultimate secret to MRSA treatment and prevention, consuming generous amounts of vegetables filled with nitric oxide is highly recommended.

Nitric oxide has a proven track record to protect the heart, improve immune responses, and kill bad bacteria. Juicing, on the other hand, is an effective way to take in huge amounts of bioavailable nutrients found in vegetables.

Try this MRSA-busting vegetable juicing recipe from MRSA30Day.com, called the MRSA-nator.  

Ingredients:

• Half a head of kale
• Half a head of spinach
• A small piece of ginger
• Half a piece of lemon
• Four celery stalks
• One whole cucumber
• Two green apples
• A juicer

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Wash all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly under fresh running water.
2. Slice all your fruits and vegetables into stalks and chunks.
3. Put the kale stalks one at time inside your juicer and begin juicing. Because kale stalks are pretty hard, this may take some time.
4. After all the kale stalks have been juiced, you can now start juicing your spinach.
5. Add in the lemon (rind and all) and the ginger.
6. Add in the stalks of celery and chunks of apples and cucumber.
7. Serve cold.

This powerful thirst-quencher is not only a perfect way to achieve an optimal dose of nitric oxide and important nutrients, but is also an effective way to safely detoxify.

Sources:

http://mrsa30day.com/the-wickedy-effective-mrsa-diet-2/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/257035.php

About the author: Kendra Johnston has written various health and fitness content and has also transcribed many in-depth interviews of several natural health experts.  Arrianne is currently writing and researching about MRSA infection and drug-free MRSA treatment and prevention.