He escapes a fine for drunk driving: his body produces alcohol

BELGIUM.- A 40-year-old man appeared before a court in Belgium by drive drunk repeatedly He was released on Mondayafter proving that he suffers from a strange syndrome.

The reason is that he suffers from what is known as “autobrewery syndrome” and his body produces its own ethanol.

The last time this Belgian citizen tested positive in a breathalyzer test was in May 2022, when giving 0,71 mg/l Compared to the legal limit in Belgium, it is 0.22 mg/l. Just a month before, another test had returned a result of 0.91 mg per liter of expired air.

The driver also received a fine and a temporary suspension of his driving license for the same reasons, he pleaded not guilty and He stated that he had not drunk. The man did not know about the syndrome he suffered from.

Now, he follows a special diet with low carbohydrate content, which has helped him prevent the syndrome from triggering.

What is autobrewery syndrome?

This rare condition causes endogenous ethanol production by the digestive system when consumed carbohydrate-rich foodslike bread, potatoes or beans.

Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist at the AZ Sint-Lucas hospital in Belgium, explained that people with this condition produce the same type of alcohol as alcoholic beverages, but that they tend to feel its effects less.

He added that people are not born with ABS, but can contract it when they already suffer from another gut-related condition.

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