Normally a .33% blood alcohol content means you’re a professional booze hound but for one upstate New York woman, it just means her body is a certified brewery.Â
That’s right, a rare disorder called “auto-brewery syndrome” actually converts ingested carbohydrates and sugar into alcohol. That condition ultimately lead to an unidentified woman being charged with driving under the influence reports the Guardian. Before being charged, the woman in question was driving home after having 4 drinks with her husband over a 6-hour period, which should have put a woman of her height and weight at a BAC somewhere between .01-.05%.
The legal limit in New York State is .08% BAC.
As she drove home, she got a flat tire and since she was in close proximity to her home and was without anyone to assist her in changing the tire, she kept going. While she struggled with her automobile, an onlooker saw her and eventually reported the incident, which lead to police arriving on the scene and a breathalyzer at some point.
Since any BAC close .4% is considered an emergency medical situation, she was brought to a nearby hospital and even hours after being brought in, was exhibiting a BAC of .3. Immediately, her husband requested further testing and her lawyer, Joseph Marusak knew something was up. After researching possible solutions he came across “auto-brewery syndrome.” She was then referred to Dr Anup Kanodi in Columbus, Ohio who concluded that the woman did indeed experience the rare syndrome in which the digestive system converts certain foods into alcohol.
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However, over years of experiencing the condition without knowing, the lady was accustomed to her heightened level of blood alcohol content. Much like a alcoholic becomes accustomed to extreme levels of inebriation, so was she used to being legally shit-faced for long periods of time without exhibiting any signs of being wasted.
Read the entire Guardian article here:Â Woman whose body turns food into alcohol beats drink-drive charge