Dubble Bubble Dilemma: What Really Happens To Swallowed Gum?

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GreatistWhat Happens If You Swallow Gum? Myths and Facts Explained

Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M.D. — Written by Alysse Dalessandro Santiago — Updated on October 11, 2024

What happens?
What is gum made of?
Is gum food?
Do you need a doc?
Is chewing gum safe?

Ever wondered what happens if you swallow gum? Contrary to popular belief, it won’t stay in your stomach for 7 years. Learn how your body handles swallowed gum, potential risks, and why it’s best to avoid making it a habit.

Before you chewed your first piece of gum, you may have been given a stern warning that sweet Bubble Yum was all fun and games until you accidentally swallowed it. The superstitious believe that, much like a broken mirror, swallowed gum comes with a 7-year sentence (of digestion).

While this warning has persisted over the years, it’s not grounded in much truth. Unlike Seattle’s famous Gum Wall, your digestive tract is not lined with gum. It’s true that your body can’t break down gum, but the digestive wait time is actually closer to a weekend.

What exactly happens if you swallow chewing gum?

When you swallow gum, your body can’t digest it or break it down. But that doesn’t mean it stays in your stomach forever.

Like most food you eat, the gum will pass through your digestive system in a timely fashion. You can expect to see your fully intact wad of gum make a comeback in your stool within 1 to 3 days.

Frequent gum chewers should have an exit strategy that doesn’t involve swallowing. While swallowing gum isn’t necessarily cause for concern, don’t make it a habit. Swallowing too much gum in a short time could lead to a blockage in your intestines.

WTF is gum actually made of?

Manufacturers aren’t quick to burst the bubble behind their chewing gum recipes. But there are some general formulations you can expect.

Gum base is the rubbery component that gives gum its chewy qualities. Other key ingredients of gum are resin to hold it together, fillers to provide texture, and preservatives to help to extend the shelf life.

Softeners, sweeteners, and flavorings give each chewing gum its individual flavor profile or its uncanny ability to lose its flavor after 5 minutes.

Swallowed gum: Food or fun?

Gum is one of the few socially acceptable foods reminiscent of a mama bird feeding her baby. We chew it up and then spit it out. This may raise the question: Is gum food or entertainment?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines gum as an “insoluble mass for chewing,” which leans more toward entertainment. But the FDA does classify it as a food — with a disclaimer.

Gum is considered a “food of minimal nutritional value” alongside soda water, hard candy, jellies, fondant, and other sweet treats.

While gum can contain natural ingredients, the FDA permits synthetic additives in gum that are considered safe for human consumption. These can include:

paraffin
natural rubber
petroleum wax
polyvinyl acetate

So, is swallowing gum like food OK?

Yes, you can swallow gum like food, but you probably shouldn’t. Gum has minimal nutritional value and may contain synthetic substances you probably don’t want to make a habit of digesting.

Is a doctor ever necessary for swallowed gum?

Swallowing your gum, either accidentally or intentionally, is mostly harmless. The gum will pass through your system undigested and then come out fully intact in your poo. So typically you don’t need to see a doc if you’ve swallowed your Juicy Fruit.

The biggest cause for concern when swallowing gum is intestinal blockage (though it’s unlikely). This can result from swallowing a large amount of gum or digesting gum along with other substances your body can’t process.

Some signs that you may be experiencing a blockage:

abdominal pain
constipation
occasional vomiting

In the case of a blockage, an emergency surgery may be required to remove it. Call your doc ASAP if you think you have a blockage.

So is chewing gum safe, swallowed or not?

Again, according to the FDA, gum is safe for human consumption. But this classification comes with regulations that detail what ingredients and how much of each substance can be used in gum.

Butylated hydroxytoluene, titanium dioxide, and aspartame are controversial ingredients in chewing gum. But the FDA considers them safe, and they’re used in minimal amounts. If you have kiddos, though, it might be best not to give them gum if they can’t avoid swallowing it.

If you can keep that gum in your mouth without swallowing it, there may actually be some benefits to this habit. Research suggests that chewing can help relieve stress. And it might even help you be more productive and happy during your next work-from-home sesh.

Does gum keep the dentist away?

The American Dental Association offers its seal of approval to sugar-free gums. Chewing sugar-free gum can increase the flow of saliva, which may reduce plaque acid, strengthen your teeth, and even reduce tooth decay.

Chew it over

Gum is a food designed to be chewed and not swallowed. The FDA classifies it as a “food of minimal nutritional value” and considers it safe.

If you do swallow your gum, don’t worry. Despite the popular myth, swallowed gum doesn’t age in dog years. Your body can’t digest chewing gum, but the gum will pass through your system in 1 to 3 days and arrive in its porcelain palace fully intact.

There’s no need to be concerned unless you’ve swallowed enough gum to block your intestines — that would warrant a trip to the ER.

8 sourcescollapsed

Allen A, et al. (2015). Chewing gum: Cognitive performance, mood, well-being, and associated physiology.https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/654806/
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. (2019).https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.615
Foods of minimal nutritional value. (2013).https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/foods-minimal-nutritional-value
Hedsund C, et al. (2012). Regional gastrointestinal transit times in severe ulcerative colitis.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/00365521.2012.699548
Hirano Y, et al. (2014). Chewing and cognitive function.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24371128/
Jackson P, et al. (2018). Intestinal obstruction: Evaluation and management.https://www.aafp.org/afp/2018/0915/p362.html
Lee Y, et al. (2014). How to assess regional and whole gut transit time with wireless motility capsule.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015195/
Your digestive system & how it works. (2017).https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works

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Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M.D. — Written by Alysse Dalessandro Santiago — Updated on October 11, 2024

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Dubble Bubble Dilemma: What Really Happens To Swallowed Gum?

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What exactly happens if you swallow chewing gum?

WTF is gum actually made of?

Swallowed gum: Food or fun?

So, is swallowing gum like food OK?

Is a doctor ever necessary for swallowed gum?

So is chewing gum safe, swallowed or not?

Does gum keep the dentist away?

Chew it over

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