# Does gum stay in your stomach for years?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-gum-stay-in-your-stomach-for-years/444287>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 7, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-gum-stay-in-your-stomach-for-years/444287 "2008-04-07T06:28:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-gum-stay-in-your-stomach-for-years/444287/1 "2008-04-07T06:28:07Z")

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I’ve always been told that gum stays in your stomach for years after you swallow it. Is that true?

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**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-gum-stay-in-your-stomach-for-years/444287/2 "2008-04-07T06:39:37Z")

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[QUOTE=petew83]  
I’ve always been told that gum stays in your stomach for years after you swallow it. Is that true?  
[/QUOTE]

Only if there is a corner of your stomach that doesn’t empty for years and years (unlikely). Stuff that can’t get digested passes out. Witness: corn.

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**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-gum-stay-in-your-stomach-for-years/444287/3 "2008-04-07T06:55:29Z")

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No, by observation when I was a child. The test is both obvious and simple, if you wish to reproduce the experiment.

Or you could just take Snopes [word for it](http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/chewgum.asp).

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-gum-stay-in-your-stomach-for-years/444287/4 "2008-04-07T08:05:47Z")

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Cecil Adams on [Is swallowing chewing gum dangerous?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_059.html)