It sounds like the world’s worst excuse for getting out of a drinking ticket. But “I haven’t drank anything, officer, my stomach just brews beer on its own” is a legitimate statement for those suffering from a bizarre condition.
The rarely diagnosed “auto-brewery syndrome” is caused by fungi in the digestive system that turns carbohydrates into alcohol. Also known as gut fermentation syndrome, it can cause patients to experience signs of drunkenness and can occur in otherwise healthy people, but is more common among those with Crohn’s Disease, diabetes, or obesity.
From The Washington Post:
“A person is intoxicated from this fermenting yeast, and it’s a horrible illness,” said Barbara Cordell, a researcher of auto-brewery syndrome and the author of “My Gut Makes Alcohol.”