A 50-year-old woman in Canada has been experiencing symptoms of slurred speech and falling, resembling intoxication, despite not consuming alcohol. After seeking medical attention for two years, she was eventually diagnosed with a rare condition that causes her body to produce alcohol internally, essentially turning her into a small-scale brewery. Experts have shed light on the causes of this condition.
According to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the woman exhibited signs of intoxication on seven different occasions over the past two years, despite abstaining from alcohol for many years. Her family confirmed this fact.
The woman was later diagnosed with Auto-brewery syndrome, a condition where microorganisms in the gut ferment to produce alcohol, essentially acting as a mini brewery inside the body.
This condition is so rare that even doctors, law enforcement officers, and officials may not be familiar with it. The Canadian Medical Association Journal mentioned that the first documented case related to this condition was reported in 1948, involving a boy whose stomach emitted an alcohol-like odor due to fermentation.
In April this year, a man in Belgium also diagnosed with Auto-brewery syndrome had his drunk driving charges dismissed. Despite not consuming alcohol, he was charged with driving under the influence. However, three doctors conducted independent tests on him which confirmed his condition, leading to his exoneration.
Rebecca A. Drummond, an Associate Professor of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, mentioned in an article on The Conversation website that the exact number of individuals affected by Auto-brewery syndrome remains unclear, with only a few documented cases in medical literature.
She noted that there may be many people we know who have this condition, but diagnosing each case individually poses a challenge, limiting the number of recorded cases.
Based on existing evidence, it appears that people are not naturally born with Auto-brewery syndrome but rather develop it due to disturbances in the gut microbiota.
During alcohol production, yeast is typically used to ferment sugars in carbohydrates, resulting in the production of alcohol found in various alcoholic beverages like beer. Patients with Auto-brewery syndrome are believed to have an overgrowth of similar yeast in their intestines, causing the fermentation of foods they consume, especially carbohydrates like bread and sugar, leading to alcohol production.
Drummond stated that the strongest supporting evidence for this hypothesis is that antifungal medications seem to help individuals with Auto-brewery syndrome. These medications can kill the yeast overgrowth in the intestines. Following this treatment, some patients experienced a disappearance of symptoms related to self-brewing alcohol.
In the case of the Canadian woman, adopting a low-carbohydrate diet helped reduce the frequency of symptoms such as slurred speech and dizziness associated with intoxication.
Limiting the yeast population in the intestines and the sources of food that yeast can thrive on may help slow down the production of alcohol in the gut. However, it is important to note that this approach remains theoretical and has not yet been clinically proven.
The specific yeast involved in Auto-brewery syndrome remains unclear. Due to the rarity of this condition, knowledge about it is limited.
Drummond mentioned that other potential triggers for Auto-brewery syndrome include the use of antibiotics or intestinal surgery, both of which are associated with increased fungal growth in the gut.
While the yeast population in the intestines is much smaller compared to bacteria, it still has significant impacts on overall health and can serve as a potential source of infection.
Auto-brewery syndrome is rare, but it is evident that gut fungi have a broad impact on human health and the immune system. People are just beginning to understand how these intriguing yeasts affect human health.
In conclusion, Drummond stated, “Through further research, we may gain a better understanding of similar fascinating conditions resembling Auto-brewery syndrome.”