Almost everyone has swallowed a piece of gum, but few kids have ever needed a doctor because of it. You might have heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. That's not true.
Though your stomach can't break down a piece of gum the same way it breaks down other food, your digestive system can move it along through normal intestinal activity. In other words, it comes out the other end when you have a bowel movement (poop).
When Is Swallowed Gum a Problem?
Swallowing a large mass of gum, or many small pieces of gum over a short period of time, can block the digestive tract in rare cases. Blockage is most likely when gum is swallowed along with foreign objects, like coins, or when swallowed with nondigestible materials like sunflower seeds.
Little kids are most likely to be affected because they might not understand that gum is chewed, not swallowed.
But apart from these strange scenarios, swallowing an occasional piece of gum is harmless.
What Exactly Happens to the Gum?
Chewing gum is made of either natural or synthetic materials (gum resin), preservatives, flavorings, and sweeteners. The body can absorb sweeteners, such as sugar, and they can add up to a lot of calories if you chew a lot of sugary gum.