QuickCheck: If you swallow chewing gum, does it stay in your system forever?

SOME say chewing gum is almost impossible to digest so swallowing it means it stays with you for life.

Is this true?

Verdict:

FALSE

No, it does not. While it is true that your body can’t digest that piece of gum you just swallowed, it doesn’t mean that it will hang around in your gut forever.

It does not stick to your stomach wall or your intestinal tract. It will move through your digestive system without being broken down, and will be excreted in your stool.

Blockage might happen in rare cases. For instance, if one were to swallow many pieces of gum over a short period of time, or if a vast amount of gum is ingested with other foreign objects such as coins.

But if the occasional piece of gum accidentally finds its way down your throat, there is no reason to worry. That resilient piece of gum will emerge relatively unscathed at the end of the tunnel.

References

1. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130625-does-gum-take-years-to-digest

2. https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-really-happens-to-your-body-when-you-swallow-gum