Does chewing gum stay in your stomach for seven years?
You are excited for the first day of school as you walk in the halls which seem to go on for eternity. Around, there are backpacks of every color, brightening the solid, gray lockers. “Uh what is that horrible stench,” your friend ask you in a disgusted manner. You smell everywhere, then smell your breath. It smelled like fart spray booming out of a volcano. You quickly take a pack of gum,, take a piece, and started chewing on it fiercely. You were so carried away by the excitement of the first day of school that you swallowed the chewing gum. Now you are worried about it staying in your stomach for seven years. Does chewing gum really stay in your stomach for seven years? Lets pop this balloon to find out!
What is gum?
Gum is an artificial like polymers held together with resins and waxes to give it structure, and mixed with softeners , sweeteners, flavoring,and preservatives. For modern days gum is used for various reasons including, focus, oral hygiene support, enjoyment or habit, and eating pressure relief. Back in Ancient Scandinavia/Finland, 5000+ years ago, people.chewed on ancient birch bark tar. This was possibly used for antiseptic properties or sealing tools. In Ancient Greece, people chewed on a tree resin from mastic tree also known as mastiche. Masticate means to chew. They chewed this for fresh breath. The modern chewing gum started the making in 1848, John B. Curtis created the first commercial gum from spruce tree resin boiled down and mixed with wax. In the 1850’s paraffin wax gum became a hit, since it was a cheaper alternative. Between 1869-1870, Thomas Adams received chicle by exiled Mexican general, Antonio López de Santa Anna. Bloom the chicle down and adding flavor created the Adams New York chewing Gum.
Does chewing gum stay in your stomach for seven years?
No, this myth is false. Chewing gum does not stay in your stomach for seven years, instead it digest about the same time as everything else. Although, your digestive enzymes can't break down the artificial polymers, resins, and waxes. The myth may have been created since some may have gotten confused by the “can't digest” part , or to discourage kids to not swallow gum. When you swallow gum, your stomach doesn't break down the gum, instead the intestines use rhythmic contractions to push everything to your gut. Swallowing large amounts of gum could block or clog the intestines.
Fun facts about gum
The bubble gum was pink originally on accident. The inventor only had one shade of color left, which was pink so he used that and that became the classic color that we know. In Singapore, chewing gum is heavily restricted since 1992 ,because people kept sticking it in inconvenient places. Chewing gum can help with ear pressure of flights.
Sources
Duke Health – "Myth or Fact: It Takes Seven Years to Digest Chewing Gum"
https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/myth-or-fact-it-takes-seven-years-digest-chewing-gum
Cleveland Clinic – "What Really Happens When You Swallow Gum"
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-you-swallow-gum
Britannica – "Chewing gum | Definition, Ingredients, & History"
https://www.britannica.com/topic/chewing-gum
Wikipedia – "Chewing gum"
