How Long Does Gum Take To Digest? - Healthline

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Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M.D. — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst — Updated on July 31, 2018

We’ve all heard at one time or another that if you swallow gum, it’ll sit in your stomach for seven years. This is pure folklore that likely originated from gum being labeled by manufacturers as indigestible.

Though entirely untrue, the myth has proven to be a fairly effective way to keep children — and some adults — from swallowing gum. How and where the seven years originated is also unknown.

Most of the ingredients in chewing gum can be easily broken down by your digestive system. These include sweeteners, flavoring, preservatives, and softeners. It’s the the gum base that’s indigestible.

Traditionally, gum was made using chicle, a sap from the sapodilla tree. As the popularity of gum increased, so did the demand. This led manufacturers to turn to synthetic polymers as a gum base.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows the use of various substances in products as long as they meet certain specifications and limitations. Even with the inclusion of synthetic polymers, gum — like other indigestible foods such as fiber — won’t sit in your stomach for more than a few days.

How gum is digested in the body

Your digestive system is built to digest what it can and pass anything that can’t be digested in your stool.

You see it with certain foods you eat, like corn. Corn can’t be digested by your body, so you’ll often see corn shells in your stool after eating it. Swallowing gum, as long as it’s a relatively small piece, can be harmlessly passed the same way.

Here’s how gum is digested:

You swallow the gum.
It passes through your esophagus into your small intestine.
Your small intestine absorbs sugars and nutrients.
The indigestible portion of the gum moves from the small intestine through the colon.
It passes through your rectum when you have a bowel movement.

Gum will usually pass through your system completely in less than seven days.

The bottom line

If you swallow gum, rest assured that it won’t take seven years to digest. Your body can safely pass gum within a few days.

Even still, swallowing large amounts of gum isn’t recommended. Research shows that large amounts of gum can lead to intestinal blockages, especially in children. This can happen when a large amount of gum is swallowed at once or when someone frequently swallows gum. Doing so can cause it to clump into a large, indigestible mass, called a bezoar.

People of all ages, especially children, should avoid swallowing gum. Gum can cause choking. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that gum not be given to young children and should only be given to a child once they’re able to understand to not swallow it.

Repeatedly swallowing gum can cause:

abdominal pain
chronic constipation
gas
diarrhea
mouth ulcers

Repeatedly chewing gum can lead to jaw and dental problems.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Chewing gum. (n.d.).https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/aap-press-room-media-center/Pages/Chewing-Gum.aspx
Gums, chewing gum bases and related substances.(2017).https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.615
Milov DE, et al. (1998). Chewing gum bezoars ofthe gastrointestinal tract. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.102.2.e22
Ortega F. (2010). Can gum really stay in yourstomach for 7 years?http://www.yalescientific.org/2010/05/everyday-qa-can-gum-really-stay-in-your-stomach-for-7-years/
What happens to swallowed gum? (2014).https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/swallowed-gum.html

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Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M.D. — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst — Updated on July 31, 2018

How Long Does Gum Take To Digest? - Healthline

How gum is digested in the body

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

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