“Can’t do without bread every morning? Well… atleast try to reduce. Because bread could be the most dangerous thing you put in your body,” Dr Mickey Mehta writes in the caption of his Instagram post. According to him, consuming bread every day could lead to auto-brewery syndrome, a rare condition that allows the gut microbiome to overproduce ethanol from carbohydrates, including those found in bread, which can lead to intoxication symptoms even without consuming an alcoholic beverage.
But can regular bread consumption turn your gut into a gutter? We turned to a health expert to find out.
Dr Basavaraj S Kumbar, Consultant—Internal Medicine, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, said that ABS, or Auto Brewery Syndrome, is a condition in which the body produces alcohol internally due to the fermentation of carbohydrates by microorganisms in the gut, leading to symptoms of intoxication. It is also known as gut fermentation syndrome and is an extremely rare occurrence.
Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS) usually affects people with weak gut health, an underlying disease, or a weakened immune system.
Watch out for these signs
Dr Kumbar suggested keeping an eye on symptoms such as dizziness, impaired coordination, drowsiness, confusion, mood swings or aggression. In certain cases, patients report bloating and abdominal pain, along with diarrhea and nausea. “If you observe sudden unpredictable changes in behaviour – irritability or anxiety, or a spike in alcohol cravings, get yourself checked medically,” he added.
Can eating bread every day give you ABS?
“Eating bread every day will not directly lead to this syndrome. ABS is typically linked to underlying factors such as antibiotic overuse, gut dysbiosis, or immune suppression that allow yeast overgrowth. While bread contains yeast and carbohydrates, consuming it daily does not lead to ABS unless other predisposing medical conditions are present,” said Dr Kumbar. If a healthy person consumes bread, it should not pose a problem.
For regular people, there’s no requirement to restrict bread specifically to avoid ABS. Consuming bread in moderation as part of a regular diet is entirely safe. “The way to prevent the development of this condition is by maintaining a healthy gut, refraining from unnecessary antibiotics, and fixing any gut problems early,” suggested Dr Kumbar.
According to him, dietary management with a dedicated focus towards carbohydrate and sugar control can help treat this condition. Nutritional counselling can also keep it in check. “If a fungal infection is identified, the patient is kept on antifungal treatment, a diet rich in probiotics, along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions,” he added.
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DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
