If someone told you that gum stays in your body for seven years, would you raise your hand?
When we were kids, we were told that if we swallowed gum, it would stay in our stomach for years.
We don’t remember why, but it really turned us off to the idea of swallowing things.
Experts have revealed what happens when you chew gum (Getty Stock Image)
Does gum stay in our body for years?
An expert explained what happens when gum is swallowed and why it takes seven years to be eliminated from the body. It turns out that this is a myth, like eating crisps and getting curly hair.
Or maybe our eyes are crossed because we watch too much TV.
Simon Travis, a professor of gastroenterology at Oxford University in England, explained that chewing gum is generally harmless.
“I don’t know where this myth comes from,” Travis told CNN.
“I can imagine someone making the suggestion because they want their child to stop chewing gum.”
Gum cannot be digested (Getty Stock Photo)
What happens if you swallow gum?
But Simon explains that gum is indigestible, so when you swallow it, it passes through your system and comes out the other side unchanged.
“When you swallow gum, it goes into your stomach, intestines and comes out the other side,” he said.
“Some babies and children who swallow too much gum can get it stuck in their intestines and cause a blockage, but in my 30 years of working with digestive systems, I’ve never had that happen.
While experts don’t recommend swallowing gum, it’s unlikely to cause any harm unless you swallow three or more pieces of gum a day.
“It has no nutritional value,” Dr. Aaron Carroll added. “Chewing gum is made from sugar-sweetened gum, and the flavors and scents of gum are a mixture of elastomers, resins, oils, emulsifiers, and waxes.
It’s not advisable to swallow gum (Getty Stock Image)
According to McGill University, chewing gum, like other undigested foods, is usually eliminated from the body within 24 to 48 hours.
The Mayo Clinic explains: “It is commonly said that gum stays in the stomach for seven years before it is digested, but this is not true. “If you swallow gum, your body can’t digest it.
“But gum doesn’t stay in your stomach. It passes through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.”