SAEDNEWS: Chewing gum contains a type of rubbery substance that is indigestible, and swallowing it may cause problems for the digestive system and potentially lead to a blockage.
According to SAEDNEWS, You’ve probably swallowed a lot of chewing gum as a child and heard various warnings from your parents about its potential harms. One common warning is that gum can stay in your stomach for seven years. But is this really true? Do you know what actually happens in your body after you swallow gum? Stay with us in this section to learn more about the risks of swallowing chewing gum.
Gum is made of natural and synthetic substances (gum base or resin), stabilizers, flavorings, and sweeteners. The body can absorb sweeteners like sugar, and if you use sugar-containing gum, it can introduce a significant amount of calories into your body.
Gum is broken down in the stomach by hydrochloric acid, but the plastic-like substance in gum—a type of polymer called butyl—is completely synthetic and cannot be digested by the human digestive system. Instead, it passes through the intestines and is expelled from the body.
When we chew gum, the tongue breaks down its large molecules with the help of enzymes. However, if you accidentally swallow the gum, the stomach is unable to digest the rubber component in it. After one or two days, the gum, like any other food, follows the usual digestive path and is expelled from the body through the stool.
Swallowing gum does not cause blockages in your internal organs nor does it make your internal organs stick together. However, if you swallow a very large piece of gum or several smaller pieces at once, it could potentially block your digestive tract.
This situation is more common in children, as their organs are smaller in size. In rare cases, large pieces of swallowed gum, combined with constipation, can cause a blockage in a child’s digestive tract. Gum passes through the body much like other foods such as pasta, meat, or nuts, but it is absorbed much less easily.
