Researchers have studied a fascinating phenomenon where some individuals experience symptoms of intoxication without consuming a drop of alcohol. According to the research, this could be due to a rare medical condition known as Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS) or Gut Fermentation Syndrome.
The study, published in Nature Microbiology, explained that ABS is a rarely diagnosed disorder in which the body's digestive system produces alcohol due to an overgrowth of yeast in the gut. This yeast ferments carbohydrates, producing ethanol, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream, causing symptoms similar to intoxication.
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Typically, the symptoms include dizziness, confusion, slurred speech and lack of coordination. Diagnosis often involves ruling out other conditions and testing for high blood alcohol levels without consumption.
"Many patients will visit multiple medical centers only to be dismissed as surreptitious drinkers and leave without a diagnosis," the team wrote in their published paper, according to Science Alert. The study was led by infectious disease expert Elizabeth Hohmann of Massachusetts General Hospital and gastroenterologist Bernd Schnabl of the University of California, San Diego.
To conduct the study, the researchers compared gut microbes from ABS patients to those who live with them. The researchers also controlled for environmental and dietary factors that can influence gut microbiomes.
"Here we conducted an observational study of 22 patients with ABS and 21 unaffected household partners. Faecal samples from individuals with ABS during a flare produced more ethanol in vitro, which could be reduced by antibiotic treatment," the study noted. After gut microbiome analysis using metagenomics, the researchers found an enrichment of Proteobacteria, including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
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As per the study, the faecal metabolomics revealed increased acetate levels associated with ABS, which correlated with blood alcohol concentrations. "Finally, one patient was treated with faecal microbiota transplantation, with positive correlations between gut microbiota composition and function, and symptoms. These findings can inform future clinical interventions for ABS," the researchers noted in the study.
"This raises a broader question of how prevalent gut microbial ethanol production is in the general population and how widespread the pathological implications could be," Schnabl and colleagues write.
"In addition, our study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome and microbial metabolites to human health," they conclude.
