Sorry guys, it looks like your beard's may not be as great as you think...
A new study which sampled men’s beards found more harmful bacteria in human beards than in dog fur!
“The researchers found a significantly higher bacterial load in specimens taken from the men’s beards compared with the dogs’ fur,” says professor Andreas Gutzeit of Switzerland’s Hirslanden Clinic.
The study actually intended to understand whether humans could contract dog-borne diseases from a MRI scanner shared by veterinarians. The researchers took swabs from the scruff of 18 fellas and the necks of 30 canines of various breeds.
They found that all of the bearded men, who were aged 18 to 76, had high microbial counts, while only 23 of the 30 dogs showed similarly high microbial presence.
Seven of the men tested positive for microbes that actually posed a threat to human health.
Scientists also wiped down the MRI scanner after examining the dogs, and found a “significantly” lower bacteria count compared with levels after human use.
(via NY Post)