All too often, people all but mentally convicted someone who has been arrested for and charged with an impaired driving offense. This may happen especially when the driver’s blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit of 0.08% at the time of their arrest.

The fact that a defendant should remain viewed as innocent until proven guilty is a central tenet of the criminal justice syndrome. When it comes to a drunk driving case, people should know that a rare medical condition may result in a high blood alcohol content even when no alcohol consumption has taken place.

An overview of auto brewery syndrome

As explained by Medical News Today, the human digestive system normally contains trace amounts of fungus with candida being the most common form. In some situations, the amount of fungus in a body may grow excessively, opening the door to problems. With auto brewery syndrome, excess fungi in the intestinal tract allows the body to convert simple and complex carbohydrates into alcohol.

The internal fungi essentially eat the starch or sugar and give off ethanol alcohol as a byproduct. This alcohol moves throughout a person’s body via the bloodstream, resulting in a form of intoxication not requiring the person to have consumed any alcohol at all.

Drunk driving case linked to auto brewery syndrome

According to The Washington Post, multiple people have been charged with impaired driving due to their undiagnosed auto brewery syndrome condition. One man lived many years before receiving his diagnosis and undergoing extensive treatment that included not consuming any starchy or sweet foods or beverages.