What if swallowed gum

The childish superstition that swallowed gum "sits" in the stomach for seven years has nothing to do with reality, writes Zdorovie.

Photo: Shutterstock

Our body is able to break down some of the constituents of gum - sweeteners and flavor enhancers.

"The rest travels further down the digestive tract," says Gerry Mullin, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Only the sticky base of chewing gum is indigestible - just like the skins and seeds of fruits.

Just do not imagine that the gum will stick to the inner surface of the walls of the stomach or intestines, as to the soles of sneakers or the pavement. Chewing gum really takes a little more time than regular food to go all the way through the digestive tract, but one way or another, the body will deduce it, says Mullin, and gastroenterologist Nancy McGrill from Duke University adds that she has never met chewing gum stuck inside patients.

When is it worth worrying about swallowed gum

If you suffer from Crohn's disease or diverticulitis, causing a narrowing of the intestines - because the gum can clog an already narrow area. In rare cases, this leads to spasms, constipation and other bowel problems.

A healthy person can achieve problems only by swallowing a very large amount of chewing gum. Therefore, worry about occasionally swallowed gum, according to experts, is not worth it.

What's more, contrary to negative prejudices, chewing gum, when used as directed, can even be beneficial to your health: it activates the salivary glands, which helps neutralize stomach acids and keep you from heartburn.

In addition, studies show that chewing gum improves concentration, and 10 minutes of this class helps to remove about 100 million bacteria from the teeth, which is equivalent to brushing your teeth with dental floss. The main thing is to make sure that there is no sugar in your gum.

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