From the Prohibition era to modern-day home brewing, techniques for spirit connoisseurs to make their own supply of adult beverages have grown in their sophistication. Millions of dollars are spent every year on the necessary ingredients and equipment.
Yet, is it safe to say that the ability to ferment was in these enthusiasts all along?
In July of 2015, a Hamburg, New York resident was driving home after a lunch where she claimed to consume four drinks in six hours. One flat tire later – reported as an accident by another driver – she found herself undergoing a battery of sobriety tests after police suspected that she was under the influence of alcohol.
A subsequent Breathlyzer test showed an illegal and life-threatening blood alcohol concentration of .33%. The high BAC mysteriously continued into the evening after her arrest, even though she seemed sober. Research from her attorney uncovered a published case report that seemed to solve the mystery.
Discovering A Rare And Dangerous Medical Condition
Auto-brewery syndrome occurs from excess yeast from the consumption of not only alcohol, but also high levels of carbohydrates. While yeast is normally metabolized with few effects on most people, its proliferation forms an infection that turns glucose from foods rich with carbs into alcohol.
Victims with a yeast-rich diet combined with a high tolerance for alcohol, lack of sleep, significant stress, or taking antibiotics live their lives continually with a .15 BAC. Add anxiety, sleeplessness and a poor diet and that BAC will jump to .30 or .40.
A Knowledgeable Doctor Comes To The Rescue
Enter Anup Kanodia, MD, a Westerville, Ohio doctor who has treated patients suffering from the affliction. His test results revealed that the Eerie County native’s body made its own alcohol, even when she hadn’t consumed a drop of liquor.
Auto brewing is still considered extremely rare. Dr. Kanodia is one of a few practitioners who are not only aware of the condition, but have successfully diagnosed and treated it.
The auto-brewing defense led to charges being dismissed in December of 2015. If you have been charged with a DUI, you need a criminal defense lawyer who will attend to every detail in creating successful strategies.
Health, All About The Strange Condition That Causes Your Body to Churn Out Alcohol, Amanda MacMillan, Jan 7, 2016
