You may remember your parents telling you not to swallow your chewing gum, as it would take years to digest. I certainly recall hearing that from my grandparents (usually right after I swallowed some). Were they trying to scare me into doing the “proper” thing, or does gum actually stay in the body for years on end?

An article published in the New York Times online states:

Swallowed chewing gum typically passes through the digestive tract without harm and is eliminated at the same rate as other foods.

However, don’t relax too much. There have been several documented medical cases in which patients - usually small children - had intestinal blockages caused by wads of gum. Parents should exercise great caution when considering whether to give young children chewing gum, as not only is it a choking hazard, but nobody wants their child to have to have surgery to remove it later!

Even though those cases are the exceptions rather than the rule, I think I’ll spit my gum out from now on, and instruct my children (when they’re old enough to have gum) to do the same.

Posted by Sunshine.