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Compared with regular sugar, how many calories do sugar alcohols have?

Fewer calories than sugar, but not zero.

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  1. More calories
  2. Fewer calories, but not zero ✔
  3. Zero calories

Why: ADA says sugar alcohols have about half the calories of sugar, and FDA calls them slightly lower in calories. Despite the name, they're neither sugar nor alcohol. They can appear under total carbohydrate on the label.

Huh, didn't know that: FDA says sugar alcohols range from 25% to 100% as sweet as sugar.

The dad joke
Why was the sugar alcohol confused at the family reunion? It wasn't really a sugar or an alcohol.
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References

Answer: Fewer calories, but not zero. ADA says sugar alcohols have about half the calories of sugar, and FDA calls them slightly lower in calories. Despite the name, they're neither sugar nor alcohol. They can appear under total carbohydrate on the label.

  1. FDA, Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food
    Sugar alcohols are slightly lower in calories than sugar
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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