One man was charged with drunken driving after crashing his truck and spilling 11,000 salmon onto a highway in Oregon. Another was secretly recorded by his wife, who was convinced he was a closet alcoholic. And in Belgium, a brewery worker was recently pulled over and given a breathalyzer test, which said that his blood alcohol level was more than four times the legal limit for drivers.
What is Auto-Brewery Syndrome (A.B.S.)?
Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare condition in which a person’s gut ferments carbohydrates into ethanol, effectively brewing alcohol inside the body. When a person with the syndrome ingests carbohydrates, fungi in their gastrointestinal tract converts it into ethanol. This process can lead to all the typical effects of inebriation, such as lack of coordination, memory loss, and aggressive behavior, without the actual consumption of alcohol.
Strange Cases of Auto-Brewery Syndrome
- In Belgium, a brewery worker was acquitted of a drunken driving offense after it was discovered that his body was producing alcohol internally, leading to a false high blood alcohol level.
- A woman in New York registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.40, which is considered potentially fatal, due to auto-brewery syndrome, even though she had not consumed alcohol conventionally.
Challenges and Reactions
People with auto-brewery syndrome face challenges when accused of drunken driving as they may genuinely believe they are sober. Reactions to their defense vary from admiration to skepticism, but medical professionals confirm the existence of this unusual disorder. The disorder can sometimes result in blood-alcohol levels that would be lethal if achieved through traditional alcohol consumption.
