Auto brewery syndrome is also known as gut fermentation syndrome and endogenous ethanol fermentation. Sometimes, it is referred to as "drunkenness disease." You become intoxicated or drunk due to this uncommon condition without ingesting alcohol. Your body produces alcohol when starchy and sugary foods (carbohydrates) are consumed. The diagnosis of auto brewery syndrome can be challenging. It might also be confused with other illnesses.
The gastrointestinal tract is home to a wide variety of microorganisms. The majority of these organisms are bacteria, with fungi making up less than 0.1%Trusted Source of the microbes found in the typical human gut. The most prevalent species of fungus is a type of yeast called Candida.
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| Candida. |
Some people may develop auto brewery syndrome as a result of liver issues. In these situations, the liver is unable to eliminate alcohol quickly enough. The symptoms are brought on by even a tiny amount of the gut yeast's alcohol. Other reasons you may have too much yeast in your body include:
• poor nutrition
• antibiotics
• inflammatory bowel disease
• diabetes
• low immune system
The sugars and starches in food are consumed by yeasts and other fungi, who then use them to produce energy. Additionally, waste from this process includes carbon dioxide and the alcohol-like substance ethanol.
Fungal fermentation creates ethanol, which enters the bloodstream and circulates throughout the body. After consuming little or no alcohol at all, people with auto-brewery syndrome may still have high blood alcohol levels.
Symptoms
Auto brewery syndrome can make you:
• drunk without drinking any alcohol
• very drunk after only drinking a small amount of alcohol (such as two beers)
The early symptoms of auto-brewery syndrome include:
• brain fog
• fatigue
• dizziness
• slurred speech
• mood changes
• delirium
Auto-brewery syndrome can also cause other symptoms, such as:
• headaches
• belching
• nausea
• vomiting
• loss of coordination
• memory problems
• difficulty concentrating
Diagnosed
The auto brewery syndrome cannot be diagnosed with any particular tests. More research is required because this condition is still relatively undiscovered. Symptoms by themselves are frequently insufficient for a diagnosis.
To determine whether you have an excess of gut yeast, your doctor will probably perform a stool test. To do this, a tiny bowel movement sample must be sent to a lab for analysis.
Although you shouldn't use it to self-diagnose, you might try a similar test at home if you think you might have auto brewery syndrome. Eat something sweet, like a cookie, before you eat anything else. Use a breathalyser at home to check if your blood alcohol level has increased after an hour. At-home breathalysers may also not be as accurate as the ones used by doctors and law enforcement. Regardless of what you observe, see a doctor for a diagnosis.
Treatment
It is possible to treat auto brewery syndrome. Your doctor might advise cutting back on carbohydrates in your diet. Your gut's fungus may be better controlled if an underlying condition, such as Crohn's disease, is treated.
Your doctor might suggest antifungal drugs. The fungus infections that may be the root of your gut issues can be treated with these medications. The recommended duration of treatment may be three weeks or longer.
Avoid sugary foods and simple carbs like:
• corn syrup
• high fructose corn syrup
• white bread and pasta
• white rice
• white flour
• potato chips
• crackers
• sugary drinks
• fruit juices
Also avoid table sugar and added sugars to foods:
• glucose
• fructose
• dextrose
• maltose
Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates that are higher in fiber:
• whole grain bread and pastas
• brown rice
• fresh and cooked vegetables
• fresh, frozen, and dried fruit
• fresh and dried herbs
• oats
• barley
• bran
• lentils
• quinoa
• couscous
