I tend to swallow my chewing gum (I believe it’s referred to as just “gum” in some countries). Recently a certain person was upset with me for doing that, in the belief it is an unhealthy habit. Today I went back to my habit of swallowing my chewing gum.

If anything I’ve heard it just leads to a slight laxative effect. But my companion at the time seemed to this it was a very bad thing to do. What’s the consensus on this?

It is the sorbitol that has the potential laxative effect see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7180800.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing_gum#Swallowed_gum For some more info, or the detail http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-chewing-gum-takes-seven-years-to-digest

Gosh, most Moms were at least hopeful that after 7 years it’d come out.  My Mom was pretty persuasive simply telling us it’d get stuck there and NEVER come out while it gathered other stuff to it!

I used to BIG chew bubble gum, at least 3-5 chunks of it at a time and you can be VERY sure, I only swallowed the sugar and NOT the gum!  I don’t chew any kind of gum now.

Looks like I’ll have to stop that habit.

Peter - 06 March 2012 05:45 AM

Looks like I’ll have to stop that habit.

*pressing the ‘like’ button*

Its a myth that chewing gum stays in the body for years. Not sure, to be honest, why the myth grew up, but myth it is.

Because it’s largely a gum base, the body can’t digest it, but it doesn’t magically “stick” on your insides. It’ll come out the same way anything else does. It won’t be very different when it comes out than it was when it went in, but it’ll come out nonetheless.

Swallow away.

AndyB - 07 March 2012 11:12 AM

Its a myth that chewing gum stays in the body for years. Not sure, to be honest, why the myth grew up, but myth it is.

Because it’s largely a gum base, the body can’t digest it, but it doesn’t magically “stick” on your insides. It’ll come out the same way anything else does. It won’t be very different when it comes out than it was when it went in, but it’ll come out nonetheless.

Swallow away.

Sounds kinda like corn.