Your morning coffee could secretly be weakening antibiotics

Researchers have discovered that everyday substances like caffeine can influence how bacteria such as E. coli respond to antibiotics. By examining 94 common drugs and food ingredients, scientists found that certain compounds trigger genetic regulators that control bacterial transport proteins, altering what gets inside the cells. In the case of caffeine, this led to reduced uptake of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, weakening its effectiveness.