UK Man Brews Alcohol In His Belly

, UK Man Brews Alcohol In His Belly

Just when we thought we’d heard everything comes news of a man who can essentially brews alcohol in his stomach, a condition that kept him drunk.

This amazing story is as unfortunate as it is true…

Nick Carson can’t have bread, can’t have cake, in fact he can’t have any carbohydrates at all, unless he wants to get so drunk that he’ll eventually pass out.

Carson suffers from Auto Brewery Syndrome, a very rare condition where his body ferments carbohydrates and turns them into alcohol in his stomach. The more carbohydrate he consumes the drunker he gets.

“Having a little bit of sugar or carbohydrates can quickly make me become drunk. I can go from being stone-cold sober to being three times the driving limit in minutes, which is quite scary,” Carson told The Mirror.

“The effect isn’t pleasant and I have sections of my memory where I have no idea what I’ve done. It’s like sleepwalking – you’re not aware of what you’re up to even though you’re still functioning.”

, UK Man Brews Alcohol In His Belly

The Digestive System. CC by OpenStax

“I’ve basically become an involuntary alcoholic because this condition makes you one, whether you want to be or not.”

According to The Mirror the cleaning business owner developed auto brewery syndrome after being exposed to strong solvents at work nearly 20 years ago, but he was only recently diagnosed.

“Having a little bit of sugar or carbohydrates can quickly make me become drunk. One time I tried a small portion of low fat chips and I became so intoxicated that I lay in the living room, throwing up, before eventually passing out within 45 minutes of eating.”

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.

And unfortunately for Carson and others who suffer from Auto Brewery Syndrome is so unusual that a cure is not yet known.

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