The disease that turns food into beer

"Auto-brewery" syndrome causes patients to get drunk at any time and suffer from many symptoms such as vomiting, fatigue, and paralysis.

For some people, having a digestive system that converts normal food into alcohol is like a dream come true because you get drunk without having to drink. However, in reality, the condition Auto Brewery Syndrome (ABS) turns the patient's life into a nightmare.

Photo: health.howstuffworks.com.

According to Fox News, "auto-brewery syndrome" is a rare disease in which the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferments food in the stomach, producing ethanol, a component of beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. In the US, only 50 people with ABS have been officially recorded.

“The problem arises when the yeast gets out of control,” explains Barbara Cordell, dean of the School of Health and Wellness at Panola University in Texas. She says that patients with auto-brewery syndrome often have a history of taking antibiotics for a long time. It’s likely that the antibiotics kill the bacteria, causing the yeast to overgrow.

ABS is very annoying because the patient can get drunk at any time. This not only affects the relationship with others but also leads to a series of symptoms such as discomfort, vomiting, paralysis, chronic fatigue and many other side effects of alcoholism.

Worse,"auto brewery" syndromesometimes resulting in arrests for driving with blood alcohol levels above the legal limit. Fortunately, increased public awareness of the condition has helped people with ABS escape wrongful convictions. Late last year, a 35-year-old teacher in the US was found not guilty after proving she had “auto-brewery syndrome” and had not been drinking at the wheel.

Currently, people with ABS are often treated by limiting carbohydrates, sugar and using antifungal drugs. These measures, although not a complete cure, help relieve symptoms and make life easier for patients.

According to VnExpress