SWEETNERS

Don’t know your agave from your xylitol? Get the scoop on the most popular sweeteners and how they affect your diet.

Neotame. Isomalt. Lactitol. They may sound like characters straight out of a science fiction movie, but they’re just a few of the sweeteners lurking in the foods you eat daily.
Many of the baked goods, beverages, processed foods, frozen desserts, candies and baking ingredients stocked in your kitchen are loaded with both artificial and natural sweeteners, often under unrecognizable names.

Some sweeteners are innocent. Others aren’t. Knowing the difference between calorie-free sweeteners like acesulfame potassium and saccharin, sugar alcohols like isomalt and lactitol, and natural sweeteners like honey and agave, is important for your health—and your waistline.