Case–Control Research Study of Auto-Brewery Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), also known as Gut Fermentation Syndrome and Endogenous Ethanol Fermentation, is afflicting people worldwide, but little is known about ABS patients’ demographics, health history, lifestyle factors, and diet. METHOD: We conducted a broad-based case–control survey study on 52 patients known to have a diagnosis of ABS and their household members. The research compares the symptomatic group (N = 28) to the asymptomatic group (N = 18) regarding lifestyle and health, diet, and medical history. RESULTS: With a response rate of 88% and using rank-sum tests, the data demonstrate that patients with ABS have significant differences compared to people without ABS in lower quality bowel movements (P = .048), more frequent bowel movements (P = .038), more reports of malodorous breath (P = .0001), and self-classify as having poorer health (P = .009). Furthermore, participants with ABS consume more water (P = .038), consume less tea and coffee (P = .033), eat fewer dairy products (P = .0185), eat less candy (P = .032), eat out less and rely on food prepared at home (P = .043), have more aversion to starch (P = .008), and have more food sensitivities (P = .043) than the group without ABS. The ABS group also reports more diarrhea (P = .048), higher amounts of yeast in their gastrointestinal tract (P = .015), and using acne medication for a longer time (P = .037) than the control group. CONCLUSION: Patients with ABS have significant differences in their lifestyle and health, diet, and medical history compared to non-ABS participants and these differences warrant further research.