As laborious as we could attempt to make sure that we ingest the most effective meals and drinks for our our bodies, issues can occur. (Here is taking a look at you, yesterday’s jitter-inducing third latte.) However typically, such situations are purely unintended. As an illustration, whereas I used to be chewing gum the opposite day, I mistakenly swallowed it down as I sipped on a glass of water. It had been years since I’d executed so, and I instantly stopped in my tracks.
Childhood rumors about gum staying in your system for seven years (or eternally?) instantly got here to thoughts. This obtained me to considering: What occurs whenever you swallow gum… and is it even digestible? To decipher truth from fiction, I reached out to Peyton Berookim, MD, MA, FACG, AGAF, a double board-certified gastroenterologist on the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California.
What occurs whenever you swallow gum?
For starters, the GI physician notes that gum is in a special class from most meals and even sweet. “Gum is a really explicit concoction of components which are meant to make it indigestible,” Dr. Berookim says. Its constituents are precisely why you’ll be able to chew it for hours on finish however it nonetheless stays intact.
“Give it some thought: If it would not simply disintegrate in your mouth after repeatedly chomping down on it and being uncovered to digestive enzymes, similar to amylase, then it will not get utterly damaged down in the remainder of your digestive system both,” Dr. Berookim continues. So sure—gum isn’t appropriate with the digestive system.
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Does swallowed gum ever get totally digested?
Recalling the childhood rumor of gum staying in your system for seven years after swallowing it, Dr. Berookim says that is extra of a fantasy than something… with one caveat.
“Our digestive enzymes can simply break down all of gum’s elements besides the gum base itself,” Dr. Berookim says. “Gum base consists of an insoluble gum base—resins, humectants, elastomers, emulsifiers, fillers, waxes, antioxidants, and softeners—sweeteners, and flavoring brokers.” FYI, he notes that gum base is precisely what makes it sticky and stretchy.
However simply because we will’t digest gum totally doesn’t imply it’ll keep in our programs eternally. On this level, Dr. Berookim says we will liken gum base to different objects we routinely ingest that we will’t break down—similar to insoluble fiber, watermelon seeds, and popcorn kernels. “[These] are usually not digestible, however nonetheless observe alongside the trail of the digestive system and make their method out of our our bodies,” he shares. (Cue the collective sigh of aid.)
How “unhealthy” is it to swallow gum?
Whereas swallowing gum isn’t ultimate, Dr. Berookim says that doing so by chance is unlikely to trigger digestive misery or any palpable harm. “Some folks report a direct abdomen ache after ingesting their gum, [but] whether or not that is only a psychological response or an actual physiologic impact isn’t utterly recognized,” he says.
With that in thoughts, Dr. Berookim mentions that experiencing opposed results after swallowing gum are extra probably for those who ingest a big mouthful of it. “An excessive amount of gum swallowed without delay can clump collectively to type a bigger clump also referred to as a bezoar, which is just too massive to maneuver usually by means of the digestive tract and might doubtlessly trigger an obstruction.”
Kids specifically require extra warning on this regard. “Because the diameter of the small gut in a baby is smaller, the danger of obstruction will increase,” Dr. Berookim says. In sum, he advises spitting out your gum as soon as it loses its taste otherwise you’re executed chewing it—however it’s not likely value stressing over for those who gulp it down by mistake.
