Drunk From Eating French Fries? It’s a Real Medical Condition
I would like to go on record as saying that I believe French Fries are one of our most perfect food creations. I don't care whether you shoestring them, crinkle them, curly them, or batter and season them and then cover them with chilli, I will eat them. However, I was not aware of a medical condition, until recently, where I learned that the consumption of too many French Fries could lead to a DWI.
That's right, for some individuals eating foods like French Fried potatoes can actually cause them to become so intoxicated that they can't operate a motor vehicle. Perhaps this would explain the idiotic actions of so many drivers in the drive-thru lanes. I see you sneaking fries out of that bag while you're waiting to pull into traffic.
The condition is called Auto-Brewery Syndrome. Yes, it's a real thing. People who have this syndrome have extra high levels of yeast in their stomachs. That yeast, just like in breweries and winemaking operations, takes the carbohydrates from the potatoes and converts them into alcohol.
Now Auto-Brewery Syndrome isn't just a potato thing. Any food high in carbohydrates could produce similar results. The Syndrome was actually identified in Japan during the 1970s. Researchers believe people develop Auto-Brewery Syndrome after extended use of antibiotics. It is believed the antibiotics really mess with the bacteria levels in the digestion system.
You might be wondering, what are the symptoms and do I have this particular malady. The short answer is you probably don't as it's quite rare. But, here are the basic symptoms according to Healthline.com.
1. You get drunk without any alcohol consumption
2. You get drunk after very small amounts of alcohol have been consumed.
To find out if you have an abundance of yeast in your gut your doctor will have to perform some basic tests. One of those tests is to examine a stool sample. Yeah, you have to poop in a cup which is hard to do when you're drunk. Don't ask me how I know.
Or your doctor might order a glucose challenge test. This test examines how and how well your body processes sugar through the digestive process. I am guessing that if your doctor gives you a sugar pill and you start dancing on the exam table, you might come back as positive.
Okay, we're making light but this is an actual ailment and can lead to serious consequences. Of course, we don't suggest you take medical advice from the Internet. But, if the scenarios we've described sound like a situation that you or someone you know might be experiencing, it's probably a good idea to get that checked out. And until then, let's not supersize those fries until we get home.
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