Most do not breakdown in the body like sugar does. They simply leave the body in the urine. Some sweeteners are found naturally in fruits, and in vegetables such as sugar beets. Others are artificially manufactured. Nutritive sweeteners include sugar and sugar alcohols.
Nutritive sweeteners make foods taste sweet.
These sweeteners can preserve some foods, which improves flavor and freshness. Non-nutritive sweeteners provide sweetness without calories. Most non-nutritive sweeteners do not improve the moisture or tenderness of baked goods. All nutritive sweeteners, except sugars found in alcohol, provide 4 calories per gram, or 16 calories per teaspoon. Compared with fat, which has 9 calories per gram, sugars, like other carbohydrates , are lower in calories.