Gut Check: Man Brews Beer In his Belly

Just when we thought we’d heard everything comes news of a man who was discovered to be brewing beer in his stomach, a condition that kept him drunk.

Yikes…

The Sun is reporting that a 46-year-old from North Carolina who was pulled over driving under the influence, discovered that he had a rare medical condition where his stomach was actually brewing beer.

Tests showed that the individual, who was adamant that he hadn’t consumed alcohol, had a blood alcohol level which was equivalent to a person drinking 10 alcoholic beverages.

The unnamed construction worker had complained of having experienced uncharacteristic personality changes, including depression, memory loss and aggressive behavior which began after completing a course of antibiotics for a thumb injury in 2011.

After hospital personnel and police refused to believe his denial that he’d consumed alcohol, researchers from Richmond University Medical Centre in New York, shared his case in BMJ Open Gastroenterology, who alerted the staff that he might suffering from a bizarre condition that happens when ingested carbohydrates are converted to alcohol by yeast-like fungi in the gastrointestinal tract.

Strange but true….

Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), also known as gut fermentation syndrome, is caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the gut that turns excess carbs from food into alcohol. The alcohol is then absorbed into the blood stream and sufferers become drunk.

According to Healthline you can’t be born with ABS, but other genetic conditions such as Crohn’s disease which can generate excess yeast in the gut, could lead to an attack.

Because this condition is so rare, those that suffer from ABS are mistaken for closet alcoholics. They may appear drunk, sweaty, confused and have less coordination after eating a meal that triggers an episode.

And unfortunately auto-brewery syndrome is so unusual that cure is not yet known.

But some sources recommend limiting carbohydrate intake (yah think?) as well as taking a battery of antifungal medications to control the growth of yeast in the stomach.

Stomach diagram credit: Wikipedia