Sugar substitutes found in many supermarket foods have been shown to kill off antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause pneumonia and sepsis. Three artificial sweeteners used in products such as diet drinks, yogurts and desserts dramatically halt the growth of multidrug-resistant priority pathogens, but they also reduce the bacteria's resistance to commonly used antibiotics, meaning fewer are needed. This discovery could lead the fight against superbugs. "Artificial sweeteners are present in all diet and sugar-free foods," said Dr. Ronan McCarthy. "We discovered that these same sweeteners that you have with your coffee or in your 'sugar-free' soda could kill very dangerous bacteria...
