Pomegranates may help fight MRSA

Stopping the superbug methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has researchers looking for new antibacterial agents in all corners of the globe. Scientists at the University of Kingston, Surrey in the UK have found there is promise in pomegranates.

Pomegranates have long been known for their antibacterial and therapeutic health benefits, especially in Brazil. While most of us think of pomegranates as being chock-full of antioxidants, they may fight more than free radicals. A study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that when the fruit's rind is combined with metal salts and vitamin C, they hold promise in killing MRSA.

"It was the mix that fantastically increased the activity -- there was synergy, where the combined effects were much greater than those exhibited by individual components," study author Declan Naughton told the Daily Mail. "It shows nature still has a few tricks up its sleeve."

Drug-resistant staph infections such as MRSA are a growing problem, primarily in hospital settings. MRSA infections accounted for two percent of staph infections in U.S. hospitals in1974, but that figure jumped to 63 percent in 2004, according to the CDC.

The research was done in a lab setting, and the research is still in the preliminary stages.