Fact or Myth? Gum Stays in Your Stomach for Seven Years

How many times did your mother tell you not to swallow your gum when you were growing up? Seems there has been a myth -- and, yes, it is a myth -- that gum will stay in your stomach for a long time, up to seven years. Well, sometimes mothers are wrong. Chewing gum has been around for at least 7,000 years; however, it will not hang around in our stomachs for years. Our digestive system does a pretty good job of elimination, and it is quite effective against gum.

Chewing gum is made of gum base, sweeteners, softeners, and flavorings. (Each gum company, of course, has its own recipe including secret ingredients to make their gum taste better than the other guy's; however, these are the basic ingredients used by all gum manufacturers.) Gum base in insoluble, just like much of the fiber that we find in certain other foods, such as raw vegetables and seeds. That does not mean, however, that the gum will stick to our stomachs, especially for seven years. Actually, our digestive system begins to work on the gum, just as it does on every other food we eat.

The gum first travels from our esophagus into our stomach where the digestive process begins. Various enzymes and acids begin to break down the gum, with the partially broken down gum being sent on into the intestine. The pancreas and liver help to further break down of the elements of the food -- in this case, gum -- that is there. What is useful to fuel the body is basically kept, while the remainder is sent on its way into the colon. These elements then are expelled by the body as waste.

It is true that gum base can be difficult to digest quickly. Most gum bases are made from synthetic chemicals, which is why gum is "chewy." This gum base is not broken down by the saliva in your mouth; however, the process begins as soon as it hits your stomach, where the body begins to recognize it as useless and sends it on its way out of your body. It does not take seven years for the body to come to this realization either. Usually food is digested within 30 to 120 minutes.

Do not panic, therefore, if you or one of your children accidentally (or on purpose) swallows some chewing gum. It will be gone pretty quickly.

References:

DukeHealth.org. Myth or Fact: It Takes Seven Years to Digest Chewing Gum

Discovery Health. Does gum really stay in you for seven years? by Josh Clark

ChewingGumFacts.com. Chewing Gum ingredients.