WEBVTT - How Can Some People Brew Alcohol in Their Guts?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey brain

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Lauren volabamb here. Alcohol is a complicated substance. It's

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<v Speaker 1>used in celebrations and ceremonies and is a drug that

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<v Speaker 1>we should all handle responsibly, and in the case of

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<v Speaker 1>a select few of us, we brew it in our

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<v Speaker 1>own guts. Wait what, Yes, it's true. Some people brew

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<v Speaker 1>alcohol in their own bellies, and it's really not as

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<v Speaker 1>convenient as it might sound. People with this condition have

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<v Speaker 1>been arrested for unknowingly driving under the influence of alcohol,

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<v Speaker 1>and have been accused by family members and medical professionals

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<v Speaker 1>of being closet drinkers. The condition is called auto brewery

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<v Speaker 1>syndrome or gut fermentation syndrome. For people who have it,

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<v Speaker 1>the simple act of eating carb rich foods I think bagels, pasta,

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<v Speaker 1>or sugary sodas kicks off a series of unfortunate guests

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<v Speaker 1>intestinal events that result in elevated blood alcohol levels. In

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<v Speaker 1>most humans, our gastrointestinal system will ferment tiny levels of

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<v Speaker 1>ethanol during the course of normal digestion due to the

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<v Speaker 1>normal yeasts and bacteria in our guts that eat carbohydrates

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<v Speaker 1>and excrete alcohol. But for people with auto brewery syndrome,

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<v Speaker 1>one or several of these usually harmless microorganisms has overgrown

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<v Speaker 1>to the point that they're basically pathogenic. They create so

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<v Speaker 1>much ethanol that the person can have the signs and

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<v Speaker 1>symptoms of alcohol intoxication even if they haven't ingested a

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<v Speaker 1>single drop. Although rare, autobrewery syndrome affects both adults and

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<v Speaker 1>children and is thought to be widely undiagnosed. As a result,

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<v Speaker 1>people experience side effects that are chalked up to other maladies,

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<v Speaker 1>such as chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel, or memory loss.

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<v Speaker 1>They experience life through a belching, dizzy lens and researchers

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<v Speaker 1>aren't entirely sure why this happens. It's definitely an imbalance

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<v Speaker 1>in the patient's gut, oral or urinary microbiome and or microbiome,

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<v Speaker 1>depending on whether you're talking about bacteria or yeasts, but

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<v Speaker 1>those in themselves are really complicated parts of our health

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<v Speaker 1>that aren't entirely understood. There is evidence that having underlying

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<v Speaker 1>conditions like various gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, liver dysfunction, or genetic

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<v Speaker 1>differences in how your digestive enzymes operate might make you

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<v Speaker 1>more likely to experience auto brewery syndrome, but the only

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<v Speaker 1>two factors that have been really definitively linked to it

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<v Speaker 1>are the use of antibiotics, which can kill off the

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<v Speaker 1>normal and even helpful bacteria in our microbiome, and the

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<v Speaker 1>consumption of carbohydrates and sugars. The condition was first reported

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<v Speaker 1>in Japan in nineteen fifty two, but wasn't formally named

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<v Speaker 1>until nineteen ninety. To diagnose autobrewery syndrome, patients will be

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<v Speaker 1>given a physical and a few lab tests, including stool

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<v Speaker 1>and or endoscopy cultures for the bacteria and fungi known

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<v Speaker 1>to be culprits. Patients are also often isolated for a

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<v Speaker 1>period of time and given high carb, high sugar foods

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<v Speaker 1>to eat. If their blood alcohol levels rise, auto brewery

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<v Speaker 1>syndrome may be what's happening. With a diagnosis, patients are

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<v Speaker 1>treated for whatever yeast or bacterial overgrowth has been detected

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<v Speaker 1>and encouraged to go on a high protein, low carb

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<v Speaker 1>diet until their symptoms resolve. With help from a nutritionist

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<v Speaker 1>and avoidance of antibiotics, patients can manage the condition and

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<v Speaker 1>avoid relapses. Though some patients have had the best long

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<v Speaker 1>term luck after fecal microbiotic transplants, in which a healthy

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<v Speaker 1>donor's poop is used to help you grow your own

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<v Speaker 1>healthy microbiome. Today's episode is based on the article The

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<v Speaker 1>Curse of Brewing Beer in your Own Belly on howstifforks

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<v Speaker 1>dot com, written by Lorel Dove. Brain Stuff is production

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