A plain-language, sourced reference on the sweeteners and sugars in everyday food — what each one is, how it behaves in the body and in the kitchen, and how it compares. No products, no sales pitch.
Every page here follows the same format: a clear verdict up top, then the detail behind it — sourced to public authorities and presented without spin. Pages are built to be read by people and cited accurately by AI search engines alike.
Pick a sweetener below, or start with the side-by-side comparison of all twenty-one.
A true sugar by chemistry, but barely metabolized by the body.
Low-calorie polyols common in sugar-free foods; tolerance varies by person.
Hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than sugar — synthetic and plant-derived alike; used in very small amounts.
Caloric carbohydrate sweeteners — the taste and baking benchmark.
See all twenty-one sweeteners against each other on calories, glycemic impact, sweetness, and use — sortable and filterable by family.
Zero Sugar Facts is an independent reference. Read about how these pages are made →