What does swallowing gum do

Show references Wyllie R, et al. In: Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Elsevier; Accessed Nov. Your digestive system and how it works. See also Digestion: How long does it take? How digestion works.

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Things like popcorn kernels, seeds, or the fiber bases of raw veggies also cannot be easily broken down by your body.

Read More : 7 things you're eating daily that your body struggles to digest. Rest assured that "nothing happens to the stomach or intestine," when you swallow gum, said Dr. Instead, the digestive system just tries to break down the gum to the best of its ability, extracting any nutrients it can, until you eventually excrete it. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. We think it is probably possible to choke on gum if you have been chewing a lot of it. We hope all of our Wonder Friends are super careful when they chew gum! We really appreciate your creativity, and we're super glad you stopped by Wonderopolis today! Hi, Julia! We bet lots of Wonder Friends accidentally swallowed gum when they were just learning how to chew it Thank you for sharing your personal connection to this Wonder!

We hope you will visit Wonderopolis again tomorrow and join us as we all learn some cool new things! We hope Wonderopolis will become your favorite website, too!

Hello, Mrissa! Thanks for sharing your personal connection to today's Wonder! We like chewing gum, too, but we're still super careful not to swallow it! We're glad you learned about bubble gum, hummingbirds AND decorative eggs this week! We're glad we know not to be so worried when we accidentally swallow gum now, too, Jason!

Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis today! Woo, hoo! We're super proud of Alle for sharing what she learned from today's Wonder! Way to go, Alle! Thanks so much for sharing your views on chewing and swallowing gum, Mrs. Hi, Zeek! Hello, Team Unger 6! We really like how you shared the new vocabulary words you learned and also some of the cool facts! Thanks for visiting today's Wonder, Team Unger 15! We appreciate all your questions! We're not sure why it takes so long to digest gum, but we know that it's OK to swallow gum by accident every once in a while.

We wouldn't want it to become a habit, though! We sure appreciate your comment and your opinion, Caleb! Thank you for sharing BOTH with us today! Thanks so much for hanging out in Wonderopolis with us today, Christina! We hope you enjoyed today's Wonder! We appreciate your comment today! We think the video for this Wonder did just that! We know from historical records and documentation, that over 2, people were passengers on the Titanic.

Hello, Mr. Draper's Class! Here's just one more hint: "K" is for Wonder! Thanks so much for letting us know you enjoy the Wonders of the Day and learning in Wonderopolis, Tanner! We appreciate hearing that from you today! We hope you'll share with your brother what you learned by exploring today's Wonder, Chris! Thanks for letting us know you thought today's Wonder was awesome, Chris! We liked learning about what happens if we swallow gum, and we're glad you did, too!

It's probably OK to accidentally swallow your gum once in a while, Hallie, but we shouldn't swallow gum all the time. We invite you to re-explore today's Wonder to find out why! We sure do, McKenzie! We like blowing bubbles, too! We've done that before and it was soooo funny, Slaney! Thanks for helping us remember a super fun time we had blowing bubble gum today! It shares a little information about the Titanic and that fateful night in April of !

You're right, Doniesha! Thanks so much for visiting today's Wonder and sharing your comment with us! We don't think so, Katlyn! We bet it is just like when you swallow gum Thank you for hanging out in Wonderopolis today! We appreciate your comment That really IS a lot of thinking, Sydney! Thanks for sharing your knowledge about what happens when you swallow gum! Hi, Shundee! We sure appreciate you leaving us this comment today! Your stomach actually digests what it can from the swallowed gum and sends the rest of it on its way!

We think it's really cool to learn you can blow a bubble for the first time, too, Cassidy! Thanks so much for sharing your personal connection to today's Wonder about gum! Hi Hunter! Did you know there is already a Wonder about that? That would be quite a sight, wouldn't it, Rahul? We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature.

Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. What happens if you swallow gum? Does gum stay in your digestive system for seven years?

Can your digestive system digest all the parts of gum? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Ready to learn more about chewing gum and the digestive system? Here are a few fun activities you can chew on with some friends or family members: Do you have a favorite type of gum? Which flavors do you prefer? Ask an adult to take you on a field trip to a local store to check out the variety of chewing gum they have for sale.

If you have some extra money, buy a couple of different types of sugar-free gum that you've never tried before. Take them home and try a blind taste test. Take one stick of each type of gum and unwrap them. Put them in a bowl and mix them up. Now try each one individually.

Which one do you prefer? What flavor is it? Maybe you'll find a new favorite. Whatever you do, though, don't swallow your gum! Do you know what happens to the food you eat? Jump online and check out this cool Digestive System video to learn more about the trip your food takes through your body.

Wouldn't it be cool if your body was transparent and you could see the food travel through the digestive system? If you're up for a challenge, try creating a drawing that shows the path of food through the body!

You now know that swallowed gum doesn't sit in your stomach for seven years. What a relief that must be. But what if it did? Or what if you swallowed a watermelon seed by accident? Would a watermelon start to grow in your tummy? Think about some things that you might accidentally swallow and then make up a funny story about what might happen afterward. You can tell your story to friends or family members, or you can write it down.

If you write out your story, be sure to post it on Facebook , because we'd love to read it. Let your imagination run wild. Your story can be as crazy and silly as you want it to be. You never know, you might start a myth of your own! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words resist resin nutrient eliminate chemical estimate digestive jeopardy cavity Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion. Feb 12, Sep 10, Caetlin Moon Aug 26, I learned that your body can digest most parts of the gum just not the base of the gum.

Aug 27, Absolutely right, Caetlin! Parents that if you eat the green part of a watermelon then it will grow inside of your stomach. I need a little help to know 4 facts about what will happen when you swallow gum. Apr 9, What happens if you swallow gum.

Third paragraph: "Nope! Caesar Chavez Feb 25, It worries me that I might get Cavities because I chew gum frequently. Mar 1, Maya Davis Nov 1, I'm glad I don't have to worry about swallowing gum anymore! Nicholas b. Sep 19, Nov 17, Katie Kat Nov 8, Hi again. I heard that from my family but i don't know who told me that because it was along time ago. Nov 10, Thanks for sharing, Katie Kat!! Your Welcome. Nov 13, Katie Kat Oct 31, I have heard that swallowing toothpaste helps get gum out.

Is that true? Nov 2, May 2, MYstic bob bud Apr 12, Apr 12, You're welcome! Try not to swallow your gum! Killian Feb 13, Feb 14, We are grateful-ish for that comment, Killian. Feb 8, Meadow Jan 2, This was so amazing to learn about.

I am glad that swallowing gum does not do a lot of damage but is still not recommended. Also, are the people at wonderopolis certified doctors? Jan 2, Dec 7, Comment Reader Nov 16, How many comments do you have in all of the wonders????????? I'm a comment reader!!!!! Nov 16, Abigail Oct 24, I love it! The best thing to do on Wonderopolis is read about all of the fun things you have never learned about and I love to learn so this could be my favorite website!

If you want to join on the fun pack all your stuff and come join the fun! Oct 25, Someone Apr 28, Hailey Faith Mar 27, Thank you have a nice day. May 6, Shania Feb 16, Feb 18, Important question, Shania! We hope this Wonder was helpful! Sanjana Srini Dec 17, The part I found the most interesting was when the article talked about the resin and how it was tough to digest because I thought that gum could be digested all the way through!

Dec 18, Brooke Dec 15, I once ate a butter cup flower. Are they dangerous? Dec 15, I accidentally drink a glass of water with a worm on it, or so i guess.. It is white and small.. And while you hate to dispute your mother's wisdom, most adults probably have trouble swallowing that warning.

And for good reason—it's not really true. Gum passes through your system pretty much just like other food, exiting the body in the same way. Chewing gum is made of the following main ingredients: a natural or synthetic gum base, glycerin, vegetable-oil based compounds, sorbitol and mannitol or saccharin, preservatives, flavorings, and colorings. Pediatricians at the Nemours Children's Clinic Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition describe two unrelated cases of children suffering from chronic constipation , which could not be attributed to diet or dehydration.

Upon conversation with parents, the physicians learned that the children had been chewing—and ultimately swallowing—between five and seven pieces of gum each day. Chewing gum has been part of human culture since at least 7, BC, the approximate date to which masses of prehistoric tar marked with teeth imprints can be traced. The Greeks, North American Indians, and other people indigenous to North America have all chewed gum for millennia, it is believed.

The first patented chewing gum hit shelves in the US in Yet gastrointestinal illnesses attributed to chewing gum appear to be few and far between. Since gum is typically chewed in small pieces, a single swallowed piece will travel the expected digestive path and pass—primarily intact—in the stool in just a few days time. Documentation of intestinal blockages due to chewing gum seem to point only to a danger in swallowing excessive amounts of chewing gum repeatedly, as opposed to swallowing a single piece occasionally.

Although the gum base itself is indigestible, a small piece of chewing gum can pass easily through the digestive tract in the same time it would take digestive waste to travel the same path and be eliminated. Chewing gum. Wikipedia website.

Available at:. Accessed November 5, Hopcroft K. Is it true that swallowing chewing gum can block your bowel? Times Online website. Accessed July 24,