# I just swallowed gum is this bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946 "2002-11-26T20:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BZ00000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BZ00000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BZ00000)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/1 "2002-11-26T20:09:32Z")
As it says. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/2 "2002-11-26T20:11:20Z")
No. I’ve swallowed a ton of gum in my life. The story about how it takes 7 years to digest or something like that is an old wive’s tale. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/3 "2002-11-26T20:15:56Z")
A grammar school teacher once told us it would stick to our hearts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![buzzz\_kill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@buzzz\_kill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buzzz_kill)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/4 "2002-11-26T20:19:49Z")
It sticks to your ribs!!! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/5 "2002-11-26T20:29:58Z")
I used to always swallow gum as a kid. I’m really fat now. Let this be a warning to you!! ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/6 "2002-11-26T20:32:41Z")
I’ve swallowed chewing gum all my life. Nothing stays in your alimentary tract for more than three days, chewing gum included. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/7 "2002-11-26T20:34:21Z")
**Cecil Adams** on [Is swallowing chewing gum dangerous?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_059.html) ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/8 "2002-11-26T20:54:35Z")
No, swallowing gum isn’t a problem, but swallowing _tomato seeds_ is. My mum told me when I was four that they turn into a big plant like a beanstalk that grows out of your mouth and then a giant climbs down it and gets you. OK, it’s never happened to me in all these years, but… ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/9 "2002-11-26T21:50:15Z")
Likewise, swallowing watermelon seeds will make you pregnant. So watch out! They grow in your tummy! ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/10 "2002-11-26T22:43:31Z")
It largely depends on how much you swallow at one time. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/11 "2002-11-26T23:01:52Z")
My mother always said a gum tree would grow in my stomach. Hasn’t happened. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/12 "2002-11-27T00:04:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*I’ve swallowed chewing gum all my life. Nothing stays in your alimentary tract for more than three days, chewing gum included. \*\* That’s elementary. Swallowing gum is not bad as long as it’s not your gums. ---
**Author:** ![kirk280980](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c77e96/32.png) [@kirk280980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk280980)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/13 "2002-11-27T00:47:00Z")
No ill effects here. I get through one or two packs of gum a day, and since childhood have always swallowed it afterwards. Not to put too fine a point on this, I noticed that it just comes right out the other end, along with everything else. I don’t know whether or not gum can break down inside the body. Certainly, if I “forget” my gum and stop chewing it, it eventually turns to a yucky mush in my mouth. Maybe it does the same in the digestive tract? ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/14 "2002-11-27T02:35:15Z")
Of course it’s bad!! Now you’ll have to buy more gum! …or you can have this piece; I’m pretty well done with it… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/15 "2002-11-27T02:36:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*I’ve swallowed chewing gum all my life. Nothing stays in your alimentary tract for more than three days, chewing gum included. \*\* Except for all that E. coli bacteria of course. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/16 "2002-11-27T03:40:53Z")
I was told that the only reason I shouldn’t swallow gum is that I might choke on it. (As a young child.) ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/17 "2002-11-27T06:31:30Z")
Bad for the gum I suppose, I mean it could have been stuck under a chair with the nose goblins… 😃 😃 😃 😃 _sigh_ I crack myself up… ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/18 "2002-11-27T06:37:12Z")
Don’t wanna gum up the works…[flam-tap-crashhhhh] Thanks, I’ll be back on Friday… [SIZE=1] Don’t forget to tip your server…[SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-swallowed-gum-is-this-bad/138946/19 "2002-11-27T06:38:37Z")
damn…