Chewing Gum Does Not Take Years to Leave Our Intestines

Question

In an effort to stop chewing gum from being swallowed by kids who were to impatient to spit it out, parents told them that it would be stuck in their stomach for years if they swallowed it. However this seems to be challenged by health professionals who think it gets wiped away with all the other food in our intestines in a regular amount of time.

Comments

This is a really interesting fact-check! Especially due to the known myth of swallowing gum. After further researching, DukeHealth is a very reliable source, and it’s said that they are the 7th best University Medical Center.

Answer 1

You are claiming that concerned parents invented this urban legend of gum staying in stomachs for seven years and that truly, gum can pass through our bodies with other foods like normal. First, this myth most likely did not originate from concerned parents (though they typically enforce it), but rather, it came from gum manufacturers who labeled gum as indigestible (Healthline). According to Healthline, many ingredients in gum are digestible, such as sweeteners, flavors, softeners, and preservatives, but the gum base cannot be digested. Gum used to be made naturally from sapodilla trees, but manufacturers began using synthetic polymers for the gum base as demands increased. 

Additionally, according to Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, gum can be passed normally; it just can’t be digested. “Gum base is non-nutritive, which means it doesn’t provide any nutritional value, and is non-digestible, which means your body can’t break it down like it does other foods” (Cleveland Clinic). Mayo Clinic states, “On very rare occasions, large amounts of swallowed gum combined with constipation have blocked intestines in children. It's for this reason that frequent swallowing of chewing gum should be discouraged, especially in children” (Mayo Clinic). 

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-you-swallow-gumhttps://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gum-take-to-digesthttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Comments

Your fact check did a good job on clarifying health risks and debunking the myth that chewing gum stays in your system for years. one thing your fact check could work on is the mixed messages that each source adds to the topic making readers confused and or not knowing what to believe.

Answer 2

This blog claims that gum cannot get stuck in your stomach for seven years, and that this is a myth most likely started by concerned parents. I believe that this claim is most likely true. Firstly, the article appears to be reliable - although it is outdated (published in 2013), the source is Duke Health, which is Duke University's health system and which as the website states, "incorporates the health and health research programs within the Duke Global Health Institute as well as those in schools and centers across Duke University." Duke is a well-known and esteemed ivy league school, and widely known for its reliability. Additionally, the article's claim is largely backed by Dr. Nancy M. McGreal, who is a gastroenterologist and is an expert on the digestive system. She is board certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. Here is her page: https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/nancy-m-mcgreal-md. Dr. McGreal explains that while the stomach can't digest chewing gum, it isn't harmful and it won't get stuck in your stomach. I also searched "can gum get stuck in your stomach" on Google, and found multiple articles corroborating Duke Health's claim, including from mayoclinic.org and health.clevelandclinic.org, which were written more recently than the Duke Health blog (2019 and 2022). Both are organizations and both feature answers from certified medical professionals. With all of this in mind, I believe that it is true that gum will not stay in the stomach for long, and definitely not for seven years.

Comments

This is a relatively sound fact check by providing other sources that back up the original claim that chewing gum does not stay in one's intestines for several years, and while I appreciate you giving background on the source such as Duke University's prestige, it is not; however, a recognized member of the Ivy League, though it is still a fairly exclusive school.

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This is a really good fact check that goes into depth about the myths of how long it takes for gum to digest. I like how you provided multiple articles in order to back up your claim. Something else that I like is how you pulled specific facts from the article in order to support the claims. The articles also look very high-quality, in other words they look like articles that do a good job of backing up your claim.

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This is a solid thorough fact check that goes into a lot of depth and refers to multiple reliable sources, not only did you use these sources but you also provided specific facts and details which was great.

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This fact check is very thorough.  You checked it as a myth and why/where the myth came from. A strong source was used to help with your analysis.

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This is a great fact check that thoroughly debunks the myth about how long it takes for gum to digest. I appreciate that you included multiple sources to support your claim, which adds credibility. I also like how you pulled specific facts from the articles to strengthen your argument. The sources themselves seem reputable and well-researched, making them strong evidence to back up your point.

Answer 3

This claim that chewing gum does not stay in your stomach for years is true. According to Mayo Clinic, while we cannot digest gum, it does move quickly through the digestive system. This claim is a result of parents instilling in their children that it would get stuck to stop a choking hazard. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Comments

I think that you met the requirements of a fact check, but it is very bare minimum and I think some more depth could have helped you out alot. NIce source though.

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While you have researched this claim using a reputable source, I believe a second source would greatly bolster the reliability of your assertion. Besides this caveat, however, your incite is concise and clear.

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Your claim is valid and is doing well to address the question that has been raised. You understand what you are saying and are doing well to talk about what your source talked about. Overall, you could benefit from further looking into the claim, perhaps with more articles and research. I also think you could have addressed the article in the original comment that asked the question. I think this was done well with a few things that could be improved.

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I think that you did technically meet the requirements of a fact check but you gave us very little information. The source you used is reputable but if you gave more information on the topic itself it would have helped. With these additions it would be a 10/10.

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Your fact check had good reasoning and a source but I think having one more trusted source would improve your fact check

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This is a valid fact check as it meets all the requirements necessary, however, I do believe this fact check could be made stronger through using a more trusted source and giving reason as to why the source you chose is reputable. Besides that I can understand your fact check well and see where you stand.

Answer 4

Contrary to popular belief, chewing gum does not take seven years to leave the human bodies digestive system. In reality, it is usually in an out within a couple days. It is true, however, that the gum doesn't really digest, but rather stays intact as it moves through your system.

DukeHealth

MayoClinic

Answer 5

The claim that chewing gum does NOT take years to leave our intestines is true. According to the Mayo Clinic, chewing gum moves through the digestive tract smoothly and is not digested, but does not stick to the stomach or intestines. The original myth was most likely propagated by parents to stop their kids swallowing gum.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Comments

Your comment does a good job of addressing the question that was being raised. When looking at the source that you provided, it looks to be a trustworthy source that provides good information. However, I do think the fact check could benefit from another source. While I think one is good, it is always better to provide the person asking the question, or just to back yourself up, to provide multiple sources.

Answer 6

After researching the effects of swallowing chewing gum, I found the claim “chewing gum does not take years to leave our intestines” to be true. In other words, the myth that gum will stay in your body for years after swallowing is false. The initial source posted along with the claim is a blog post from Duke Health, the Duke University Health System. Usually, blog posts are not reliable sources but since this one is from a prestigious University, it is most likely trustworthy. 

 

Next, I looked into Nancy McGreal, MD, who is the gastroenterologist referenced in this article. She is no longer working with Duke Health, but I was able to find her LinkedIn profile. She has been working in Gastroenterology since around 2009 and has attended many highly ranked universities for her educational journey.  

 

To further fact check, I googled the question behind the claim, “Does chewing gum take years to leave our intestines?” I found an article from Mayo Clinic, a non-profit medical center as well as a source recognized by News Detective to be reliable. This article states that if swallowed, chewing gum will move through your digestive system and will be excreted in your stool. 

 

I then looked at an article from McGill University’s Office for Science and Society which clearly states that gum will pass through your digestive system within 24-48 hours. 

 

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health/gum-and-7-year-myth#:~:text=The%20widespread%20fear%20that%20chewing,together%20and%20formed%20a%20blockage

 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Comments

Your answer is very well thought and you provided plenty of sources when responding. I really like how you clarify that blogs aren't always reliable and went on to find a more reliable source. As someone trying to figure out if this is true or not, your comment is very straightforward and to the point. Nice job!

Answer 7

This claim is infact true. Chewing gum does not take years to leave our intestines (specifically 7), but they are unable to be digested - since the base of chewing gum is made of rubber. Which is where the precautionary tales of swallowing gum most likely comes from, and in certain cases it can block the intestines of frequent gum swallowers, especially young children. Mayo Clinic, trusted and highly cited by physicians, goes into further detail on this myth. Mayo Clinic

Answer 8

The claim that gum takes years to digest is false. The Mayo Clinic explains that while the body cannot digest gum, it does not stay in the stomach for years. Instead, it moves through the digestive system relatively intact and is eventually excreted in stool. Various credible sources support this, including the Cleveland Clinic, which states that while swallowing gum is generally harmless, it is not recommended. Consuming multiple pieces in a short period could potentially lead to intestinal blockage.

Sources:

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-you-swallow-gum

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Comments

This is a very well done fact check and I can very clearly see what you believe to be true of this claim. I enjoy how you explained the article you cited and described why these are credible sources.

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I agree with this.  We both pulled some information from the Mayo Clinic. however, it is important to note that blockages from chewing gum usually only happen in children, and are much less likely to happen to adults without swallowing obscene amounts of gum. Overall, I agree with your fact check! I like how you went into detail on how gum actually moves through the body.

Answer 9

This claim is true, as many articles claim that the 'myth' of gum taking 7 years to digest was likely started by parents or manufacturers that labeled it as 'indigestible'. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gum-take-to-digest

Comments

I think you would have benefited if you added some more information to your answer to the topic. Technically I believe you still meet the requirements for it but it seems like you just have a title sentence for an answer.

Answer 10

This claim states that chewing gum does not actually stay in your stomach for 7 years, as folklore suggests. I agree with this claim after researching the matter.

Chewing gum was created to be chewed, not swallowed, but it is generally not harmful if accidentally ingested. However, the gum is technically not digested. It is true that we cannot digest chewing gum, but it can move fairly easily through our digestive system and be excreted normally. On very rare occasions, very large amounts of gum swallowed have caused blockages in children.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446 

This information came from the Mayo Clinic, which is a very trusted and well-renowned source dedicated to health and medical information. They got their information from doctors.

According to Healthline, most of the components of gum can be safely digested. (sweeteners, flavors, preservatives). But, the gum base is what cannot be digested. However, your body can still safely pass gum in a normal amount of time.

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gum-take-to-digest

I could not find any credible sources that had an argument that supported gum remaining in your system for more than a few days. So yes, your claim is correct!