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

The claim that chewing gum doesn't take years to leave our intestines is true. According to the Cleveland Clinic gum is not digestible however it will move through our bodies in around 40 hours. They emphasize that it is not unusual to consume things that are not digestible like corn, kernels, raw seeds, etc. However, they mention that swallowing gum daily can lead to a build-up of undigestible material, not allowing other things you eat to move through the intestines, which could cause damage to your digestive system. 

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

Furthermore according to Kids Health "You might have heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. That's not true." similar to the Cleveland Clinic, they mention that the gum will not be digested but is fully capable of moving through your digestive system.

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/swallowed-gum.html

Answer 2

The claim that chewing gum does not take years to leave our bodies is true. When looking at the article provided it gives good evidence that gum is not going to stay in a body for very long. The article is written by a gastroenterologist at Duke University, a trustworthy source. When further researching the claim, there were multiple articles that stated the same thing: it does not take years for chewing gum to leave the body. It should be noted that chewing gum is not getting digested by the body; it is merely passing through. There are components that are not able to be broken down, though when people think of it sticking to things, it will not stick to any part of a human's digestive tract. Overall, it is true that chewing gum does not take years to leave the body, maybe just a week or so. 

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

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

Answer 3

The claim that chewing gum does not take years to leave our bodies is true. When looking at the article provided it gives good evidence that gum is not going to stay in a body for very long. The article is written by a gastroenterologist at Duke University, a trustworthy source. When further researching the claim, multiple articles stated the same thing: it does not take years for chewing gum to leave the body. It should be noted that chewing gum is not getting digested by the body; it is merely passing through. There are components that are not able to be broken down, though when people think of it sticking to things, it will not stick to any part of a human's digestive tract. Overall, it is true that chewing gum does not take years to leave the body, maybe just a week or so.

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

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-

answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Answer 4

The claim that chewing gum does not take years to leave our bodies is true. When looking at the article provided it gives good evidence that gum is not going to stay in a body for very long. The article is written by a gastroenterologist at Duke University, a trustworthy source. When further researching the claim, there were multiple articles that stated the same thing: it does not take years for chewing gum to leave the body. It should be noted that chewing gum is not getting digested by the body; it is merely passing through. There are components that are not able to be broken down, though when people think of it sticking to things, it will not stick to any part of a human's digestive tract. Overall, it is true that chewing gum does not take years to leave the body, maybe just a week or so.

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

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-

answers/digestive-system/faq-20058446

Answer 5

The claim that chewing gum does not take years to leave our bodies is true. When looking at the article provided it gives good evidence that gum is not going to stay in a body for very long. The article is written by a gastroenterologist at Duke University, a trustworthy source. When further researching the claim, there were multiple articles that stated the same thing: it does not take years for chewing gum to leave the body. It should be noted that chewing gum is not getting digested by the body; it is merely passing through. There are components that are not able to be broken down, though when people think of it sticking to things, it will not stick to any part of a human's digestive tract. Overall, it is true that chewing gum does not take years to leave the body, maybe just a week or so.

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

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

Answer 6

The stories of swallowed gum staying inside you for years is a myth. It’s true that our bodies can’t digest gum base but it doesn’t just sit in our stomach or intestines. It moves through our digestive system like any other indigestible things and we digest it out. Medical experts say it takes around 40 hours for it to fully leave our bodies. Swallowing large amounts of gum in a short period, especially if children do it, can lead to blockages in rare cases. Overall, an occasional swallowed piece of gum isn’t that harmful and will digest itself out. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/swallowed-gum

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/swallow-gum.html

Answer 7

This statement is very compelling and I agree with you there is no way gum gets stuck in your stomach for all them years. The source you provided is very sound and has enough evidence to back up your claim. Great job!

Answer 8

I think your claim is accurate. I was a bit doubtful at first, as the link you provided is pretty outdated, and their linked source is unavailable to see. After doing more research, I believe this claim is accurate. A page from Mayo Clinic’s website says that chewing gum does not stay in the stomach for years. While our bodies can’t digest gum, it just moves through the digestive system and comes out in our stool. This page does say that swallowing large amounts of gum while constipated can cause blocked intestines in children, so that is why it is frowned upon to swallow gum when it comes to children. Another article by healthline Summarizes the same ideas, stating that indigestible foods will not stay in the stomach for more than a couple of days. Overall, I believe that this claim is accurate, as gum is indigestible and will pass in a few days. In some certain instances with children and other factors involved, swallowed gum can cause some trouble, which is probably why many people remember being told that gum stays in stomachs for years if swallowed as a child. Below I have linked the sources I looked at. 

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

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gum-take-to-digest#How-gum-is-digested-in-the-body 

Comments

I have always thought about this myth. Even to this day I fear for myslef when I accidentally digest my gum sometimes. After further research about Health Professor Nancy McGreal, she seems to have very good liability and knowledge about digestive health and bowel health. She was a very good source to back up our fact-check. Not too long ago, Professor McGreal won an award for inaugural Triangle Community Impact Honor from Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

Answer 9

This myth is typically used to warn children not to swallow your gum. Although swallowing your gum once in a while by accident won't cause big problems, constant swallowing of gum in large loads can cause nausea, headaches and diarrhea. Many people confuse gum being indigestible as it never being able to leave your intestines and never being broken down in your bowel system. Although it is indigestible, so are many other foods, like corn, seeds, grains, and different types of vegetables and fiber, yet, we are able to get it out of our bodies 30-120 minutes after consumption. Health Professor of Duke, Nancy McGreal, has claimed she has, "yet to see a wad of gum lying around in the stomach". It's also important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would most likely not approve of such food to be available to humans that would cause that much harm. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gum-take-to-digest

https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/myth-or-fact-it-takes-seven-years-digest-chewing-gum

Answer 10

After doing some research I found out that chewing gum does not take years to leave your system. When gum is swallowed it goes into your small intestine which absorbs the sugars and nutrients. The part of the gum that is indigestible ends up going through your colon and out the other end. Although, the human body can't digest gum resin it eventually goes through your digestive track and would be out in a few days. As the gum base is insoluble it will still follow the same tract as food and eventually come out when you go to the bathroom.

https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/myth-or-fact-it-takes-seven-years-digest-chewing-gum

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gum-take-to-digest#How-gum-is-digested-in-the-body

https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/gut-health/digesting-chewing-gum