Doctors have finally weighed in on the potential dangers of swallowing chewing gum.
We’ve all faced that dilemma: you’re done with your gum, there’s no trash can around, so what do you do?
Often, the gum ends up being swallowed, despite persistent myths that it remains in your stomach undigested for up to seven years or can even entangle your heart.
These myths have been debunked over time, with experts offering less alarming explanations for the fate of swallowed chewing gum.
While swallowing a single piece of gum is generally harmless, making a regular habit of it is not advisable.
Cleveland Clinic explains that chewing gum is composed of a substance known as gum base.
Since it’s not derived from real food ingredients, gum base lacks nutritional value and is also indigestible.
Essentially, your body can’t break down chewing gum the way it does other foods.
According to Cleveland Clinic, dietician Beth Czerwony noted: “Gum base isn’t able to be digested, so it just stays in your guts all the way through and doesn’t break down.”
She further reassured gum swallowers that there’s no need to panic if you’ve recently swallowed a piece or two.
She added: “You’d have to be experiencing some other medical condition for anything you swallowed to stay in your body for seven years.
“If you’ve swallowed a piece of gum, it’ll come out about 40 hours later in your stool. Because it can’t be digested, it comes right out whole.”
Meanwhile, over at Mayo Clinic, a worried parent sought advice after their six-year-old daughter swallowed some gum.
“My 6-year-old daughter accidentally swallowed a wad of chewing gum. Should I be concerned?” the parent inquired.
Elizabeth Rajan MD responded: “If you swallow gum, it’s true that your body can’t digest it. But the gum doesn’t stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.
“On very rare occasions, large amounts of swallowed gum combined with constipation have blocked intestines in children. It’s for this reason that frequent swallowing of chewing gum should be discouraged, especially in children.”
If you notice symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, or severe cramping after swallowing a lot of gum, it’s advisable to consult a medical professional.
Other symptoms to watch for include vomiting and a sensation of extreme fullness or swelling, as noted by Cleveland Clinic.