What happens if gum is swallowed?

According to Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Human Nutrition Center in Ohio, chewing gum takes about 40 hours to pass through the digestive system and then be excreted through the excretory system.

What happens if gum is swallowed? Picture 1

Dr. Nancy McGreal, a gastroenterologist at Duke University Medical Center, said that the human body does not have enzymes to digest certain products such as chewing gum, so we do not actually digest gum. su. When people swallow gum, it is excreted entirely.

Gum contains a base from sapodilla sap (natural rubber) or a petroleum-based polymer (synthetic rubber). The human body cannot digest these substances but can digest some other ingredients added to chewing gum such as sweeteners.

According to Illinois Poison Control, we won't have any problems if we swallow small amounts, but large amounts can lead to vomiting, constipation, bloating and stomach pain. Even swallowing gum can cause intestinal blockage if eaten too much at once.

In addition, chewing gum often contains sorbitol, a sweet alcohol. If too much sorbitol is consumed, it will cause digestive problems, mainly diarrhea, because it absorbs water from the intestines. McGreal said that a patient once had this symptom after chewing and swallowing a lot of gum.

Micah Soto

Update 01 July 2024