A Belgian man was acquitted Monday of a charge of driving while intoxicated after judicial officials learned he suffers from a very rare metabolic condition that causes his body to convert certain foods into alcohol.
The 40-year-old man, whose name has not been publicly identified, suffers from a condition called autobrewery syndrome (ABS). He was examined by three separate doctors who told the court that the man does indeed suffer from ABS, Reuters reported.
Because of his condition, the human body produces ethanol, which is intoxicating, after eating sugary and starchy foods. The symptoms are similar to those of real drunkenness, including slurred speech and dizziness.
As part of the verdict, the judge emphasized that the man did not experience symptoms of intoxication when he was detained by police. The judge did not order a driving ban.
In what the man’s lawyer, Anse Ghesquiere, called “another unfortunate coincidence,” he said the defendant works at a brewery.
According to ABC News, the Belgian man was convicted for drinking and driving in 2019. He was unaware of his medical condition at the time of his conviction. He received a fine and a suspended driving license, despite protests to police that he had not been drinking alcohol.
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The man was stopped by police again while driving in April 2022, resulting in his appearance in court. When officers stopped him, the man was found to be over the country’s legal limit. 0.5 grams of alcohol per liter of blood (equivalent to 0.22 ml per liter of air exhaled when performing the breathalyzer). He again told police that he had not been drinking and that he was unaware of his medical condition.
The judge said the man must now take steps to drive safely, namely monitoring his diet or using an interlock device before driving. He will be sentenced if he fails to fail a future breathalyzer test.
Ghesquiere told AFP that only about 20 people in the world have been officially diagnosed with ABS.
What is auto brewery syndrome?
Brewery syndrome, also called gut fermentation syndrome or “drunkenness disease,” is difficult to diagnose and is often confused with other medical conditions.
According to Healthline, ABS can make someone drunk without drinking any alcoholor it can make a person with ABS feel very intoxicated after just a few drinks.
Symptoms of the condition include dizziness, redness of the skin, disorientation, headache, nausea, vomiting and dehydration, among other hangover-like symptoms.
People are not born with ABS, as it is usually a complication of another disease, imbalance, or infection in the body. Crohn’s disease, for example, can generate too much yeast in the intestine and cause ABS.
Treatment includes reducing carbohydrates in the diet as well as prescribing antifungal medications.
More research is needed to better diagnose and understand ABS.
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