Chewing gum is an often-flavorful treat you can chew to satisfy your sweet tooth and relieve stress. Most people spit out chewing gum, thanks, in part, to an old wives' tale that says chewing gum takes seven years to digest. While this seems improbable, it's true that chewing gum is difficult for the body to digest -- but the seven years part does not appear to be accurate.
Putting Misconception to Rest
The idea that it takes years to digest gum is a myth. "If the legend were true, that would mean that every single person who ever swallowed gum within the last seven years would have evidence of the gum in the digestive tract," says Dr. David Milov, a pediatric gastroenterologist interviewed in "Scientific American." Milov cites colonoscopies and endoscopy procedures performed that found gum only when it was swallowed seven days or less from the time of the procedure. It is possible, however, for the gum to become lodged in the stomach or intestine if the gum piece were large enough -- more than a quarter-size around.
Components
To understand how chewing gum is digested, you must understand its structure. Although individual recipes might vary, gum mostly consists of gum base, preservatives, sweeteners, softeners, flavorings and/or artificial colors. While the sweeteners and softeners can be digested, the gum base that gives chewing gum its texture is insoluble to the body.
In Digestive Tract
While your digestive system can process sugars, sweeteners and preservatives, the gum resin base acts much like insoluble fiber -- also known as roughage -- in the body. The gum base passes through your intestines, combining with other parts of your stool. The digestive system uses peristaltic motion, a twisting movement, to propel the gum and your stool forward. Ultimately, your swallowed gum is eliminated via your stool, or feces.
Choking Risk
One of the reasons chewing gum is possibly rumored to slow digestion is to deter children from swallowing gum, which poses a greater choking risk for kids because a child's windpipe is smaller than an adult's. Just like a larger piece of food, it is possible for gum to become lodged over the windpipe and cause choking. To prevent this from occurring, the International Chewing Gum Association recommends waiting until your child has a firm grasp on the concept of chewing gum and that's it's not food to be chewed and swallowed.
References
- MayoClinic.com; "Swallowing Gum: Is It Harmful?"; Dr. Michael Picco; February 2011
- "Scientific American"; "Fact or Fiction? Chewing Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest"; John Matson; October 2007
- Kids Health; "What Happens to Swallowed Gum?"; October 2008
- International Chewing Gum Association: Frequently Asked Questions
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