Gut bacteria may cause rare condition that makes people drunk
Scientists just found that some gut bacteria can actually make alcohol inside your body, leading to a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome (ABS)—basically, people can feel drunk without drinking.
The study, published January 8, 2026 in Nature Microbiology, looked at 22 ABS patients and compared their gut microbes to healthy folks.
How it works—and why it matters
During flare-ups, ABS patients' stool samples produced way more ethanol than controls, thanks mostly to bacteria like E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
One patient was followed through relapses and remissions that corresponded with shifts in bacterial strains, and was symptom-free for more than 16 months after a second transplant that changed their gut bacteria mix.
Researchers say simple stool tests could help diagnose ABS and may have implications for fatty liver disease—so your gut microbes might matter more than you think.