You’re at a neighborhood restaurant and order your usual coffee or tea. Suddenly, you’re confronted with a small bin or basket stuffed with a confounding collection of sweeteners. Not so long ago, diners had two choices: the “real stuff” (white sugar) or the “diet stuff” (saccharin).

Short of having the Food and Drug Administration on your cell phone’s speed dial, what do you do? To start, educate yourself on what you’re putting into your coffee-and your body. Here’s a quick primer.

Acesulfame K was discovered in 1967 by scientists in Germany. It’s in use in more than 100 countries, and the FDA approved it in 1988. Still, consumer watchdog groups dispute the manufacturer’s tests proving its safety. It is not widely available and remains controversial.

Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar and was created while developing an anti-ulcer drug at G.D. Searle & Company. The FDA approved aspartame in 1993 after several years of debate about its safety. (Sweet trivia: Donald Rumsfield, Searle’s COO at the time, was instrumental in securing approval.) Today, it is found in some 6,000 products, especially diet soft drinks.

Saccharin, the granddaddy of artificial sweeteners, was discovered by accident in 1879. (Yes, 1879.) One early fan was President Theodore Roosevelt while on a doctor-ordered diet.

Sugar rationing during both World Wars greatly increased saccharin’s popularity, and its use has only increased through the decades. On the other hand, the sweetener has been under scrutiny from the start. Studies have suggested a correlation between saccharin and cancer in lab rats, but other studies have shown no ill effects when consumers use the sweetener in normal amounts.

Sucralose is a walloping 600 times sweeter than sugar, so it is combined with fillers to create a dilution that can be easily used at the table and in recipes. Heat-stable, sucralose can be used for cooking and baking.

This sweetener has had its share of scrutiny before and since its FDA approval in 1998. One study suggested sucralose might trigger migraine headaches in some people.

What other products are hoping for that sweet smell of success? Zsweet, a no-calorie sweetener made using the plant-based sugar alcohol erythritol, is one. Another is Xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener made from pulp, seed hulls, and shells.

Remember, those little packets in restaurants aren’t the only sweeteners you may be consuming. Some sweeteners are available only to manufacturers of products found on supermarket shelves.

For instance, sorbitol is found in sugar-free cough syrups, mints, chewing gum, beverages, and ice cream. However, too much sorbitol can cause gastrointestinal problems.

Kurt Hong, M.D., director of HMF’s Human Nutrition Center, reminds his patients that “zero calories” does not mean “zero harm.”

“Sugar substitutes can elevate certain gut hormones which can then trigger cravings,” he says. “You may have a diet soft drink and end up feeling hungrier afterward than you would have otherwise.” In addition, overuse of some sweeteners may be linked to cancer.

As always, let common sense prevail. “Limit your intake of both sugar and its substitutes,” says Dr. Hong. “Research the sweeteners you do use and avoid the ones that don’t agree with you.”