What is Auto-Brewery Syndrome?
26-04-2024
11:40 AM
1 min read
Overview:
A drunk driving case against a 40-year-old man was dismissed after his lawyer explained that he suffers from auto-brewery syndrome.
About Auto-Brewery Syndrome:
- It is also known as gut fermentation syndrome.
- Itis a condition in which the body turns sugary and starchy food into alcohol, causing symptoms similar to that of a drunken man.
- It is a condition in which ethanol is produced through endogenous fermentation by fungi or bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) system, oral cavity, or urinary system.
- In other words, while yeasts and fungi feed on sugars and starch and convert them into energy, the process also creates waste in the form of carbon dioxide and ethanol (alcohol).
- Symptoms: Its symptoms include being drunk without drinking alcohol or getting very drunk with only a little alcohol. Dizziness, headache, dehydration are a few among several other symptoms of the condition.
- People with diabetes, obesity, and Crohn disease are more likely to get ABS. However, it can occur in healthy individuals as well.
- Many medical reports suggest that people who suffer from ABS should avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar.
Q1: What is fermentation?
It is a chemical process by which molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically. More broadly, fermentation is the foaming that occurs during the manufacture of wine and beer, a process at least 10,000 years old.