What happens when you mistakenly swallow a chewing gum

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01/4Here is what can happen

We all have been cautioned several times in childhood not to swallow the chewing gum. And there are even high chances that most of the time this forewarning would be followed by common folklore which says that swallowed gum sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. Though these notions were not based on science but were enough to scare us all, here in this article we will tell you what exactly happens when you swallow a chewing gum accidentally.

02/4What happens when you swallow chewing gum?

Chewing gums are sticky and elastic. You can chew them for hours, yet you will not witness any changes in their size. It is because of this it is believed that it will remain in the stomach lining and will even lead to blockage in the intestine. Indeed our body cannot digest chewing gums, but the notion that it would stay in the digestive tract for seven years isn’t true at all. The gum base is insoluble, just like the fiber present in vegetables and seeds. Our bodies do not produce digestive enzymes to break them and so it remains intact even in our stomach. But just like any other food that we eat, it moves through the digestive system and is removed from the body through the stool.

03/4Can it lead to blockage in the intestine?

Chewing gum may lead to blockage of the intestine, but this happens in a very rare case. If a person swallows a large amount of chewing gum and is even suffering from the problem of constipation, it may lead to intestine blockage. This mostly happens in the case of children and for the same reasons they are discouraged to swallow chewing gum frequently.

A 1998 study published in the Pediatrics journal reported that in a few cases children developed “intestinal obstructions” after swallowing multiple pieces of gum. This can lead to severe pain, vomiting, and constipation. Besides, swallowing chewing gum can also increase the risk of choking.

04/4How long does it take for chewing gum to pass through the body?

According to experts, it takes around 40 hours to several days for the digestive tract to remove the gum from the body. It takes more time than food because it moves slower than other foods in our digestive tract.