Earlier this year, a man in Belgium was acquitted of drunk driving after he told the authorities that he suffers from auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a rare condition whereby the body produces alcohol by itself. The judge, in his verdict, emphasized that the defendant, who was not named in line with local judicial custom, did not experience symptoms of intoxication.But What Is ABS?Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist, explained that people with the condition produce the same type of alcohol as that in alcoholic drinks but that generally feel less of its effects. She added that people are not born with ABS but can get it when they already suffer from another intestine-related condition.ABS is described as a condition wherein a person's body turns sugary and starchy foods into alcohol. They can experience symptoms like slurred speech, a state of confusion, gastrointestinal distress, and staggering gait. Auto brewery syndrome is also known as gut fermentation syndrome and endogenous ethanol fermentation. It’s sometimes called "drunkenness disease." This rare condition makes you intoxicated — drunk — without drinking alcohol.Auto brewery syndrome can make you:drunk without drinking any alcoholvery drunk after only drinking a small amount of alcohol there could be symptoms akin to a condition wherein you are very drunk. These include red or flushed skin, dizziness, disorientation, headache pain, nausea and vomitingdehydration, burping or belching, fatigueWho Can Get It? ABS is usually a complication of another disease, imbalance, or infection in the body. You can’t be born with this rare syndrome. However, you may be born with or get another condition that triggers auto brewery syndrome. For example, in adults, too much yeast in the gut may be caused by Crohn’s disease. This can set off auto brewery syndrome.In some people liver problems may cause auto brewery syndrome. In these cases, the liver isn't able to clear out alcohol fast enough. Even a small amount of alcohol made by gut yeast leads to symptoms.Toddlers and children with a condition called short bowel syndrome have a higher chance of getting auto brewery syndrome. A medical case reported that a 3-year-old girl with short bowel syndrome would get "drunk" after drinking fruit juice, which is naturally high in carbohydrates, according to Healthline.