Erythritol is a good tasting natural sweetener that has almost zero calories.

I'm sorry, but the phrase "higher expression of these sweet-taste receptors in the fat cells" has got to be the most hokey description of a scientific phenomena I've heard in a long time. Really? You couldn't come up with anything more legitimate sounding than "sweet-taste receptors"? Next we'll learn that this study was sponsored by The American Sugar Alliance.

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising that, since the tongue interprets these chemicals as sugar-like, something else in the body might also interpret similarly. Further, since they taste many times sweeter than sugar, it doesn't feel entirely surprising that the other reactions are stronger than for glucose too.

What about bad bacteria feeding on artificial sweeteners?

Windykites, and it will still make you fat.

I use saccharine (which has been proven to cause cancer in rats when they are given 50,000 times the normal human dose but doesn't harm humans in human dosages.) Does the "we're all gonna booat and die" theme here hold for me, too? Also, recently found a new sweetener from the Whole Earth Sweetener Company. It says "with stevia and monk fruit" on the front, but on the back, the ingredient list is: Erythritol, Fructose, Chicory Root Fiber, Stevia Leaf Extract, Monk Fruit Extract. The message is: Never judge a sweetener by its cover. They ought to be ashamed, but the company is in Chicago and probably isn't.

I don't think many people are surprised at these results. There is so much anecdotal evidence around it that it seems to be just about consensus that diet soda is nearly just as bad as regular soda it's simply a matter of not yet understanding the chemistry of why.

if it tastes good, chances are it's not so good for you. that is why jack lalanne said "if it tastes good, spit it out!"

I drink a diet drink that is very thirst quenching. It is called water. If I don't need to quench my thirst I drink tea.

It is a perversion of several laws of physics to presume that a net gain of weight can be achieved with no net increase in calories. Unless, you believe in "alternative facts."