Could auto-brewery syndrome be responsible for your DUI?

If you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Chicago but do not believe you were drunk, you may be surprised to learn that a condition may be responsible for your ticket. Experts are finding that there are some people who produce alcohol in their gut and can become drunk without ever touching a drop of alcohol.

CNN reports that a certain type of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or commonly referred to as brewer’s yeast, can begin to develop in overabundance in the guts of some people. If this happens to you, all the carbohydrates that you eat can be converted into ethanol, the same form of alcohol found in many beverages, like beer.

While this process takes place in the gastrointestinal system, it can raise your blood alcohol content level and cause you to become intoxicated. One woman was reported to have a BAC of over four times the legal limit, despite the fact that she had no symptoms. When researchers observed her for 12 hours, they found that her blood reach four times the legal limit when she ingested no alcohol.

Since the woman’s body was converting her food into ethanol every day, she experienced few symptoms of intoxication and could function semi-normally with a high BAC. The fact that sufferers of this condition do not realize they have it makes it difficult to diagnose until your BAC is tested. This information is intended for your education and should not be taken as medical or legal advice.