Here's how to pick the safest artificial sweetener based on science

Artificial sweeteners are perhaps one of the most pervasive and controversial food products on the market. They've sneaked their way into everything from sodas and baked goods to candy and electrolyte drinks designed for infants.

Yet there's surprisingly little we know about their effect on the body and brain, and studies trying to decipher this are inconclusive.

Manufacturers tout artificial sweeteners as a satisfying zero-calorie route to satisfying sugar cravings without the gut-busting punch of real sugar. But whether or not they actually reduce the risks of weight gain, blood glucose spikes, type 2 diabetes, and the simple desire for something sweet - all effects that come with eating too much refined sugar - remains largely unknown. In fact, some studies show that long-term consumption of artificially-sweetened foods is linked to weight gain. It's also unclear how long-term consumption of these super-sweet compounds affects children, so it's best for them to avoid them.

There are currently six artificial sweeteners that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for general use as sweeteners after evaluating them for potential toxic and cancer-causing effects (generally by delivering extremely high doses of these compounds to lab rodents). But they're not all created equal.

Here is everything you need to know about each, and how they compare to plain old table sugar and other natural, zero-calorie sweeteners.