TEXAS MAN’S DRUNKENNESS TRACED TO BREWERY IN HIS GUT

A recent case described in a medical paper lends a whole new meaning to the term “beer gut.” For five years, a Texas man seemed to be constantly drunk. Even on days that not a drop of alcohol touched his lips, breathalyzers and blood alcohol tests showed high levels of alcohol in his system. Doctors assumed he was simply a closet drinker, but they turned out to be wrong. Unbeknownst to anyone—doctors and patient included—the man’s body was converting carbohydrates into ethanol during digestion. Gastroenterologists who finally gave him a thorough examination in 2010 diagnosed him with a rare condition known as gut fermentation syndrome or auto-brewery syndrome. More… Discuss