Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Gum Is DigestedWhat’s In Gum?Potential HarmsPotential Health Benefits
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Gum Is Digested
What’s In Gum?
Potential Harms
Potential Health Benefits
Despite the widely-circulated myth, gum doesn’t stay in your system for seven years. What happens if you swallow gum is much less interesting. Undigested gum will simply pass a day or two later in a bowel movement. Most of the time, it won’t lead to any significant health consequences.
However, in some cases, swallowing gum could lead to complications such as the accidental ingestion ofnicotineor abowel obstruction. Many cases of swallowed gum involve children, but there are rare instances of digestive tract blockage in adults who swallow gum, too.
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What Happens When You Swallow Gum
In most cases, if you (or your child) swallow gum, it passes through the digestive system in a matter of hours. It does not stay in your stomach for seven years, as is popularly believed. Solid food, like gum, begins to empty from the stomach in a few minutes to a few hours.The entire digestive process takes about a day or slightly more.
Thegastrointestinal (GI) systemconsists of everything from the lips to the anus. Typically, food breaks down as it goes through the GI tract. Theesophagusdoesn’t absorb anything as food (or gum) passes through this tube that connects your throat to the stomach.
Different nutrients are absorbed through the small intestines, with water making it all easier to move through the system. After passing through the large intestines, the mix is passed from the colon into the rectum and then through the anus.
Why Gum Is Indigestible
Originally, chewing gum was made ofchicle, a latex sap from the sapodilla tree. Today’s products rely on a gum base that may contain resins, fillers, emulsifiers, and waxes, among other things.Flavors, sweeteners, and coloring are often added to the mix. In some cases, gum also contains medication.
Since thedigestive systemdoesn’t break down the gum core products, any gum that you swallow will be excreted in your feces once it has traveled through your stomach and intestines, along with the other food and drink you ingest.
Can Swallowing Gum Be Harmful?
There can be downsides to chewing gum. The act of chewing it leads to swallowing more saliva and more air, which may affect gas and bloating.Additionally, if it is consumed with other foods (or non-food items), or if a lot of gum is consumed, swallowing gum can become harmful.
Bowel Obstruction
Since swallowed gum isn’t digested, it will be the same consistency as it was when it accidentally went into the esophagus. That’s why, in rare cases, it may lead to a bowel obstruction.
Symptoms of a bowel obstruction include:
Treatment for a bowel obstruction will depend on its severity. In some cases, a stool softener may work to help the obstruction pass. In the most serious cases, surgery is necessary.
Airway Obstruction
Swallowed gum can becomestuck in the throattoo. It may become lodged in the esophagus, but a more life-threatening concern is if gum gets stuck in the trachea and blocks the airway passage to the lungs. This is more common in toddlers and children but may also occur in adolescents and adults.
Signs of airway obstruction include:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that hard candy and gum not be given to children younger than age 5 years of age to reduce the possibility of airway obstruction.If you suspect an airway obstruction, call 911 immediately.
Accidental Ingestion of Medication or Nicotine
If the gum that is swallowed contains medication, there is the risk of ingesting certain medications unintentionally. Adults and children sometimes use medicated chewing gum to treat conditions including vitamin C deficiency, pain, and fever, or motion sickness. Nicotine-containing gum is also used for smoking cessation.
Unfortunately, nicotine gum is not always clearly labeled. Some new products are marketed for non-medical purposes, and the packaging does not clarify that the gum provides nicotine. Nicotine is a powerful stimulant that hits the system within 20 minutes.If a child ingests nicotine gum (even in amounts of 1-2 milligrams) it could lead to acute nicotine poisoning, with symptoms ranging from abdominal cramps to breathing difficulties, headaches, seizures, or more.
If you suspect that your child has ingested nicotine gum, call 911 or your local poison control center. You can also call the national toll-free Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
Health Benefits of Chewing Gum
Chewing gum can offer possible benefits in health care, so long as people don’t swallow it. For example, several studies find it may have a role in promoting healing after bowel surgery.
Some dentists also support gum chewing as a part of dental care. According to the American Dental Association, chewing sugar-free gum can help to reduce the risk of tooth decay when combined with a regular home oral care routine.
Chewing gum may help to speed up gut transit time during acapsule endoscopy, a procedure that relies on a tiny camera in a capsule that records images of your digestive tract as it passes through. A 2021 study of 205 people found that those who chewed gum had faster transit times, which may prove a diagnostic benefit and lead to fewer complications.
As a diagnostic tool, color-changing gum is used to evaluate people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when eating, ensuring proper oxygen levels and nutrition.
Summary
If you accidentally swallow gum, there is usually no reason to worry. Gum passes through your system and you will likely pass it in a bowel movement in a day or two. However, if your child chews gum you should be careful that the gum they choose does not contain any medications that you do not want them to ingest, like nicotine.
Chewing sugar-free gum can provide benefits, like improving dental health, but it is always important to understand what is in the products you choose.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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