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Sugar is one type of carbohydrate, as are fiber and starch. Although carbohydrates are essential macronutrients (nutrients the body uses in large amounts), sugar is not. Sugar is an umbrella term for many types of simple carbohydrates, including white table sugar. Also called sucrose, this is the most common sweetener used in sweet desserts and baked goods. Sucrose is only one of several types of sugar naturally found in foods including fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Other natural sugars include: 

• Fructose 

• Galactose 

• Glucose 

• Lactose 

• Maltose 

What are sugar substitutes? 

Almost everyone likes a sugary snack. But if you often have foods and drinks with lots of added sugar, the empty calories can add up. Sugar substitutes taste sweet but don’t contain sugar. They have fewer calories than sugar, and some have no calories at all. Foods labeled “sugar-free,” “keto,” “low carb” or “diet” often contain sugar substitutes, which fall into three categories: artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols and novel sweeteners. Sugar substitutes are in many kinds of foods and drinks labeled sugar-free or diet. That includes soft drinks, candy and baked goods. Some sugar substitutes also are sold on their own in packets or other containers. These can be added to foods or drinks at home 

Artificial Sweeteners 

Most artificial sweeteners (also called nonnutritive sweeteners) are created from chemicals in a lab. A few are made from natural substances like herbs. They can be 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar. These sweeteners don’t contain calories or sugar, but they also don’t have beneficial nutrients like vitamins, fiber, minerals or antioxidants. They are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as food additives 

Uses for sugar substitutes  

Most artificial sweeteners (also called nonnutritive sweeteners) are created from chemicals in a lab. A few are made from natural substances like herbs. They can be 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar.So very little is needed to sweeten foods and drinks. Other sugar substitutes called sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sugar.Sugar substitutes are in many kinds of foods and drinks labeled sugar-free or diet. That includes soft drinks, candy and baked goods. 

Some sugar substitutes also are sold on their own in packets or other containers. These can be added to foods or drinks at home. 

Safety of sugar substitutes 

Government health agencies oversee ingredients that product-makers add to food. These agencies check ingredients, such as sugar substitutes, before foods or drinks that contain them can go on sale. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the following sugar substitutes to be used: 

• Acesulfame potassium (Sweet One, Sunett). 

• Advantame. 

• Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal). 

• Neotame (Newtame). 

• Saccharin (Sweet'N Low). 

• Sucralose (Splenda). 

• Luo han guo (Monk Fruit in the Raw). 

• Purified stevia leaf extracts (Truvia, PureVia, others). 

Health benefits linked to sugar substitutes 

If you replace added sugar with sugar substitutes, it could lower your risk of getting tooth decay and cavities. 

Sugar substitutes also don't raise the level of sugar in the blood. 

For adults and children with overweight or obesity, sugar substitutes also might help manage weight in the short term. That's because sugar substitutes often are low in calories or have no calories. But it's not clear whether sugar substitutes can help people manage their weight over the long term. 

Over time, it's most important to eat a healthy diet and get exercise. 

Health concerns linked to sugar substitutes 

Health agencies have clarified that sugar substitutes do not cause serious health problems. 

Sugar substitutes also are not linked to a higher risk of cancer in people. Studies dating back to the 1970s linked the artificial sweetener saccharin to bladder cancer in rats. Since then, research has shown that those findings don't apply to people. 

Some research on long-term, daily use of artificial sweeteners suggests a link to a higher risk of stroke, heart disease and death overall. But other things people do, or healthy habits that people don't do, may be the cause of the higher risk. 

Other research is looking at long-term use of sugar substitutes and the gut. Many focus on how the gut and brain communicate. Researchers are checking to see if sugar substitutes affect cravings for sweets, the way people feel hunger and how the body manages blood sugar. 

Sugar alcohols, stevia and luo han guo can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea. The amount of sugar alcohol that causes these symptoms varies from person to person. 

In general, it is safest to take in small amounts of sugar substitutes. And it's best to use sugar substitutes for a short time, or just every once in a while. So try to cut back if you use them a few times a day.