A recent study revealed what actually happens if someone swallows chewing gum.
The doctors finally answered the long-standing question of whether the chewing gum it is dangerous. Most of us have experienced that moment when we’re chewing gum, but there’s no trash can in sight. Often, the easiest solution seems to be the ingestion her. This everyday scenario has fueled a plethora of theories, with some claiming that the chewing gum it remains in the stomach, undigested, for seven years, or even that it can wrap around your heart. These disturbing ideas have persisted for years, but experts have consistently debunked them, offering more reassuring explanations of what actually happens when chewing gum is swallowed.
Swallowing a single piece of chewing gum is unlikely to cause harm. However, it is not recommended to make chewing gum a habit. The Cleveland Clinic explains that chewing gum is made from a substance that is not made up of natural food ingredients. This substance is non-digestible and does not provide any nutritional value. Unlike most foods, which the body breaks down and absorbs, gum base remains largely unchanged as it passes through the digestive system.
Dietitian Beth Czerwony from the Cleveland Clinic explains: “The substance can’t be digested, so it just stays in your gut all the way through and doesn’t break down». This statement confirms that the body cannot break down chewing gum as it does other foods. However, it also reassures that there’s no need to panic if you’ve recently swallowed a piece of gum.
In fact, if you swallow a piece of gum, it will usually pass through your digestive system and be excreted about 40 hours later. Since it cannot be digested, it comes out whole. So while it may not be harmful to swallow chewing gum occasionally, it is important to remember that chewing gum is not designed to be eaten, and regular consumption could lead to digestive problems over time.
