(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons )

BY ADNAN S. KHAN

ANCHOR BLAKE HANSON

 

Who needs a doctor when you have a bartender? One species of fruit fly hits the bottle to keep from being eaten alive. New Scientist explains…
 

The problem these flies face is their natural enemy, a parasitic wasp, tends to lay eggs in the flies’ larvae. When the eggs hatch, the hatchlings eat the fly alive from the inside.


Knowing you’re faced with certain death — might drive anyone to drink. But these flies aren’t depressed, they’re motivated. Scientists have discovered that by ingesting alcohol, the flies can kill of the wasp parasites in their bloodstream. Live Science explains how the flies come across their favorite cocktail.
 

“Fruit fly larvae feed on the yeast and other fungi from rotting, or fermenting, fruit; during their snacking, the flies are bound to ingest the boozy byproducts of the fungi's fermentation — they are even able to use it as a food source and thrive on food with up to 4 percent alcohol.”


So — it’s not some 20-year-old scotch these buzzing bugs are getting drunk on. But Io9 says it’s no “coincidence of diet” that these flies are curing themselves.


“Flies infected with the parasite will literally fly around looking for some ethanol, and then gulp down as much of it as they can. Eventually, they'll kill off the larvae within, and find some other food. The flies can instinctively self-diagnose and drink themselves healthy again.”


And The Scientist magazine says these flies aren’t the only creatures that can self-medicate.
 

“…primates consume specific plants to purge intestinal parasites, for example, and caterpillars ingest toxic leaves when sick. The new research now adds Drosophila  to the list, and is the first recorded instance of alcohol being ingested as the medicine of choice.”



Knowing that, Daily Mail asked one of the researchers the question in everyone’s head, will this work on humans? The researcher said...
 

“…the obvious temptation was to assume the same applied to humans, and points out until now the suggestion that drink might cure illnesses was the stuff of chatrooms and not scientific research.”

And went on to quote the scientist.

 

“‘Who knows, maybe they can teach us something about how to fight off our own parasites.’”
 

None of the researchers recommended reaching for the bottle to fix a cold. And remember to drink responsibly.