As onerous as we could strive to make sure that we ingest the perfect 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 eventualities are purely unintended. For example, 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 ceaselessly?) instantly got here to thoughts. This bought me to considering: What occurs while you swallow gum… and is it even digestible? To decipher reality 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 while you swallow gum?
For starters, the GI physician notes that gum is in a unique class from most meals and even sweet. “Gum is a really explicit concoction of parts which can be supposed 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 does not simply disintegrate in your mouth after repeatedly chomping down on it and being uncovered to digestive enzymes, comparable to amylase, then it will not get fully damaged down in the remainder of your digestive system both,” Dr. Berookim continues. So sure—gum isn’t suitable with the digestive system.
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Does swallowed gum ever get absolutely 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 delusion than something… with one caveat.
“Our digestive enzymes can simply break down all of gum’s parts 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 strictly what makes it sticky and stretchy.
However simply because we will’t digest gum absolutely doesn’t imply it’ll keep in our programs ceaselessly. On this level, Dr. Berookim says we will liken gum base to different objects we routinely ingest that we will’t break down—comparable to insoluble fiber, watermelon seeds, and popcorn kernels. “[These] will not be digestible, however nonetheless observe alongside the trail of the digestive system and make their means 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 superb, Dr. Berookim says that doing so accidentally 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 will not be fully recognized,” he says.
With that in thoughts, Dr. Berookim mentions that experiencing hostile results after swallowing gum are extra probably if you happen to ingest a big mouthful of it. “An excessive amount of gum swallowed directly can clump collectively to type a bigger clump also called a bezoar, which is simply too massive to maneuver usually by the digestive tract and might probably trigger an obstruction.”
Youngsters specifically require extra warning on this regard. “For the reason that diameter of the small gut in a toddler is smaller, the chance 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 price stressing over if you happen to gulp it down by mistake.
