When used in conjunction with antibiotics, all three sweeteners reduced the bacteria\u2019s resistance, meaning that lower doses of the drugs were needed for effective treatment. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cArtificial sweeteners are present in all diet and sugar-free foods,\u201d said study leader Dr Ronan McCarthy, a bioscientist at Brunel University London. <\/p>\n\n \u201cWe discovered that these same sweeteners that you have with your coffee or in your \u2018sugar-free\u2019 soda could kill very dangerous bacteria and make them easier to treat. This is exciting, because normally it takes billions of dollars and decades to develop a new antibiotic drug, whereas we found a compound that can not only fight the pathogenic bacteria but also reverse its resistance to already existing antibiotics.\u201d <\/p>\n\n Antibiotic resistance arises thanks to bacteria\u2019s ability to adapt in response to antibiotics. It occurs naturally, but overprescribing drugs in humans and misuse in animals is accelerating the process. It’s currently considered to be one of the biggest threats to global health and food security. <\/p>\n\n \u201cIt has created a dangerous situation where a \u2018postantibiotic era\u2019 is becoming a reality,\u201d said McCarthy. \u201cIt threatens all aspects of healthcare, from cancer treatment to dental work.\u201d <\/p>\n\n The researchers now plan to run further tests and are optimistic that all three sweeteners could potentially offer new treatments for multidrug-resistant infection. <\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/a4e03fa3-a319-4807-8060-d1d35f8c90b0.jpg\")