What Happens When You Mistakenly Swallow A Chewing Gum

Sign In

TOI

TOI

• lifestyle
• relationship
• Health+
• style
• visual stories
• trending
• parenting
• soul search
• beauty
• books
• recipes
• food news
• travel
• home & garden
• events
• spotlight

• health news
• fitness
• diet
• mental health
• coronavirus
• alternative therapies
• weight loss
• videos
• diseases
• yoga

• News
• lifestyle
• health-fitness
• health-news
• What happens when you mistakenly swallow a chewing gum

TrendingValentine's Day MessagesKiss Day WishesBlood SugarHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiMilk AdulterationValentine's Day MessagesKiss Day WishesBlood SugarHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiMilk AdulterationValentine's Day MessagesKiss Day WishesBlood SugarHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiMilk AdulterationWhat happens when you mistakenly swallow a chewing gumTIMESOFINDIA.COM / Feb 16, 2021, 21:00 ISTShareAA+Text Size

• Small
• Medium
• Large

Follow us

1/4

Here is what can happen

We all have been cautioned several times in childhood not to swallow the chewing gum. And there are even high chances that most of the time this forewarning would be followed by common folklore which says that swallowed gum sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. Though these notions were not based on science but were enough to scare us all, here in this article we will tell you what exactly happens when you swallow a chewing gum accidentally.

2/4

​What happens when you swallow chewing gum?

Chewing gums are sticky and elastic. You can chew them for hours, yet you will not witness any changes in their size. It is because of this it is believed that it will remain in the stomach lining and will even lead to blockage in the intestine. Indeed our body cannot digest chewing gums, but the notion that it would stay in the digestive tract for seven years isn't true at all. The gum base is insoluble, just like the fiber present in vegetables and seeds. Our bodies do not produce digestive enzymes to break them and so it remains intact even in our stomach. But just like any other food that we eat, it moves through the digestive system and is removed from the body through the stool.

3/4

​Can it lead to blockage in the intestine?

Chewing gum may lead to blockage of the intestine, but this happens in a very rare case. If a person swallows a large amount of chewing gum and is even suffering from the problem of constipation, it may lead to intestine blockage. This mostly happens in the case of children and for the same reasons they are discouraged to swallow chewing gum frequently.

A 1998 study published in the Pediatrics journal reported that in a few cases children developed "intestinal obstructions" after swallowing multiple pieces of gum. This can lead to severe pain, vomiting, and constipation. Besides, swallowing chewing gum can also increase the risk of choking.

4/4

​How long does it take for chewing gum to pass through the body?

According to experts, it takes around 40 hours to several days for the digestive tract to remove the gum from the body. It takes more time than food because it moves slower than other foods in our digestive tract.

Follow Us On Social Media

Photostories

• 1
• 2
• 3

lifestyle videos

32:03

32:03

27:30

13:05

16:34

04:34

06:37

03:19

04:48

07:18

08:08

06:47

03:20

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

More Videos

Featured In lifestyle

MORE FROM ETIMES

life & styleQudra LakesDr Mickey MehtaKiss Day MessagesBaby NamesValentine's Day WishesLiving and entertainmentETimesTravel DestinationsCricbuzz.comTVLifestyleNewspaper SubscriptionFood NewsTimes PrimeWhats HotServicesCouponDuniaTechGigTimesJobsBollywood NewsTimes MobileGadgetsWork with UsColombiaHot on the WebRajpal Yadav Cheque Bounce CaseValentine's Day WishesRajpal YadavSnakes Hiding SpotsAmitabh BachchanSalman KhanDhanushBaby NamesValentine Day Gift IdeasGeorge ClooneyKiss Day MessagesInderjeet SinghSarithaKenishaaFarji Season 2Sonu SoodRadha YadavUdit NarayanIndia First Musical Road1987 Dinner MenuMardaani 3 Box Office CollectionEckhart TolleHair Care TipsBorder 2 CollectionTadoba - Andhari Tiger ReserveBorder 2 Movie ReviewMilk AdulterationChadwick BosemanPrincess DianaSurbhi JyotiToday Gold Rate in ChennaiDelhi Weather TodayDelhi AQI TodayMumbai AQI TodayMaharashtra Public Holidays 2026JPMorganQuote Of The Day By Marie CurieElon MuskSpaceX Crew 12 Launch DelayMG MajestorSamsung Galaxy s26Trending TopicsLatest MoviesBollywood MoviesHollywood MoviesTamil Movies 2026Telugu Movies 2026Malayalam Movies 2026Kannada MoviesMarathi MoviesBengali Movies 2026Top Rated Movies 2026Best Hindi MoviesBest English MoviesBest Telugu MoviesBest Tamil MoviesBest Malayalam MoviesBest Kannada MoviesBest Bengali MoviesUpcoming Hindi MoviesBest Movies Of All TimeBest Hindi Movies of All TimeLatest English MoviesLatest Malayalam MoviesEnglish TV NewsTamil TV NewsTelugu TV NewsMalayalam TV NewsKannada TV NewsMovie ReviewsBhojpuri Cinema NewsGujarati Cinema NewsPopular CategoriesViral NewsK Pop NewsWeb Series NewsAnime NewsUpcoming English MoviesUpcoming Tamil MoviesUpcoming Telugu MoviesUpcoming Malayalam MoviesUpcoming Kannada MoviesFashion TipsTravel NewsEntertainment NewsBollywood NewsTollywood NewsKollywood NewsMollywood NewsFood NewsLatest Hindi MoviesLatest Tamil MoviesParenting TipsHome RemediesWeight LossBeauty TipsParenting TipsHindi VideosHindi Video SongsBhojpuri Music VideosLatest Telugu MoviesBhojpuri Music VideoHindi TV NewsLatest NewsCancer Horoscope Today, February 13, 2026: Small gestures matter more than dramatic talksRam Charan on naming twins Shivram and Anveera Devi; Upasana Konidela calls second-time motherhood ‘calmer and more conscious’Water and oxygen aren’t enough: Scientists reveal two ‘must-have’ ingredients for life on other planetsRepublican slams Purdue University for hiring H-1B worker for $149,000 software engineer role: ‘Are there no qualified Americans?’Donald Trump says Iran must agree to nuclear deal or face ‘very traumatic’ consequencesOlympian Chloe Kim “scolds” Myles Garrett as he cheers her on while she chases another gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics'No concern for India': Centre slams Rahul Gandhi on charges against India-US trade deal, says farmers' interests fully protectedTaurus Horoscope Today, February 13, 2026: Avoid unimportant arguments at work'Can’t beat ’em, eat ’em': Netizens horrified as Florida TikToker cooks cold-stunned iguana for dinner"I just feel so bad": Lilah Fear reacts after free dance error ends Team GB medal hope at the Winter Olympics with Lewis GibsonThe 50: Nikki Tamboli breaks down in tears as boyfriend Arbaz Patel proposes to her; says, "My dad has not accepted us because I come from a different religion"Mona Singh says Border 2 script ‘chose’ her; recalls father losing his foot in the 1971 India-Pakistan war: 'I am a fauji’s daughter'Myles Garrett steals spotlight in bold Chloe Kim photo jacket ahead of her Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic halfpipe finalAries Horoscope Today, February 13, 2026: Jupiter’s influence favours honest gains and timely supportFact check: Did Cardi B confess “I regret having a child with him” in a new clip amid breakup rumors with Stefon Diggs?After Super Bowl outing with Kim Kardashian, Lewis Hamilton shuts down dating questionsMajor row over Britain's Nato envoy Angus Lapsley bringing intern girlfriend, half his age, to official residence: 'They are not hiding it'Daughter-in-law, mother-in-law duo to helm Agarwada panchayatCopyright © 2026 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication ServiceFollow us on