Imagine getting charged with a DUI, with a blood alcohol level over four times the legal limit, despite not drinking or congesting any alcohol at all. In 2015, a woman in New York encountered this exact situation, prompting her discovery of a rare (and unfortunate) disease: Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS). Those affected by ABS are intoxicated even when they don’t drink any alcohol at all, making them constantly drunk and constantly hungover. With only fifty-eight recorded cases, the disease is not a threat to any large population of people, but rather a testament to the power of the human body.
Many different microorganisms, 0.1% of which are fungi, live in our gastrointestinal tract. A healthy, normally-functioning body uses this small amount of fungal bacteria to convert starches and sugars into new substances with waste products of carbon dioxide and ethanol. However, those with ABS have an excess amount of these bacteria, meaning they have an excess amount of ethanol (alcohol) entering their bloodstream. This causes them to be drunk every time the fungi digest starches and sugars (which are contained in almost every food). One variation of ABS is Urinary Auto-Brewery Syndrome, where the same phenomenon occurs in the bladder instead of the intestine. The single reported case of Urinary ABS found that the patient did not become visibly intoxicated compared to cases of regular ABS.
If you’re reading this and scared you could be afflicted with ABS, don’t be. As previously mentioned, ABS is incredibly rare, and most diagnosed cases are of people with underlying conditions such as Chron’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms of ABS are almost identical to the effects of intoxication, but if you experience them regularly when not under the influence, it’s definitely worth getting checked out. Anti-fungal medication and dietary changes can aid in repressing the effects of ABS on patients, and according to Medical News Today, “Probiotic supplements may help balance the microbiota in the gut by introducing beneficial bacteria and inhibiting fungal growth.”
ABS poses an incredibly low risk to the general public, and there’s really no reason to worry about it affecting you or anyone you know. However, it’s important to understand the science behind the disease, especially the intricate microbiologic design that helps us function every day. ABS in itself isn’t something that should be on your radar all the time, but it is an important reminder to appreciate the constant work our bodies do for us all the time.
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Article written by Anna Cernich
Article edited by Zain Qureshi
Graphics by London San Luis
Group advised by Aashima Sagar