Recently, a man in his forties from Belgium made headlines when he was accused of driving under the influence. Initial tests revealed that his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. However, the man claimed that he had not consumed a single drop of alcohol.
Eventually, with the help of medical experts, it was proven that he had not been drinking. Consequently, he was acquitted of the charges of driving while intoxicated.
So, why was alcohol found in his system, and why did he exhibit behavior similar to that of an intoxicated person?
Doctors say that the man suffers from a very rare condition known as Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS).
This condition allows a person's body to produce alcohol on its own. The carbohydrates present in the individual's intestines ferment into ethanol, effectively creating alcohol inside the body.
Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist at AZ Sint-Lucas Hospital in Belgium, explains that people with ABS produce the same type of alcohol as alcoholic beverages.
She notes that a person may not be born with ABS, but it can develop in their body when they already have other intestinal-related diseases. Individuals with ABS can experience symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication.
ABS is also known as Gut Fermentation Syndrome. It is a mysterious condition that increases the blood alcohol level. Whether the patient consumes a small amount of alcohol or none at all, they exhibit intoxicated behavior.
In this process, bacteria in the mouth, stomach, or urinary tract take in sugar and other carbohydrates and convert them into alcohol. This process is also known as endogenous alcohol production.
Reactions to ABS include slurred speech, unsteady walking, and hangover-like symptoms.
The BBC reports that the existence of this condition was first discovered in the 1940s when a report by doctors at a hospital in Uganda was published in the British Medical Journal.
At that time, the stomach of a five-year-old boy had ruptured. During surgery on the digestive system, "a strong odor...distinctly alcoholic or narcotic" was noted in the report.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in 2021, there are fewer than one hundred such cases in the United States. However, some experts believe that many incidents remain undiscovered. Doctors are still unsure about the cause of the condition.
In most cases, individuals with diseases such as diabetes, obesity, or intestinal inflammation are more likely to develop ABS. Additionally, it has been found to be related to the types of medication patients take. Doctors say that taking antibiotics or immunosuppressive drugs, which damage the bacteria and microorganisms in our stomachs, can also contribute to the condition.
