Why is swallowing gum bad?

[Cat_In_A_Top_Hat]

I’ve heard the old stories about how swallowing chewing gum is bad for you, usually with some vague suggestion that they’ll sit in your gut for seven years. I figure that isn’t true, but I’m curious: will swallowing chewing gum hurt you, in any particular way? Is it bad for you, or just not specifically healthy?

[Duhkecco]

From MayoClinc.com:

Although chewing gum is designed to be chewed and not swallowed, it isn’t harmful if swallowed. An old wives’ tale suggests that swallowed gum sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. But this isn’t true. If you swallow gum, it’s true that your body can’t digest it. But the gum doesn’t sit in your stomach. It progresses relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.

[Girl_Hermit]

@Duhkecco

From MayoClinc.com:

You just know there are going to be people all over the globe buying gum now and checking the toilet for the next few days.

off to buy some gum

[Chimera]

I’m 46 years old, I go through periods of consuming large amounts of gum (like now), and I’ve always swallowed it.

This too shall pass.

Seriously. You can’t digest a marble, but it’s not going to hang around in your intestines for the rest of your life.

[Santo_Rugger]

@Girl_Hermit

You just know there are going to be people all over the globe buying gum now and checking the toilet for the next few days.

off to buy some gum

Buy some corn and some peanuts, while you’re at it.

[Gfactor]

Oops. Misread the thread title.

[gigi]

@Gfactor

Oops. Misread the thread title.

Yeah, THAT’S bad because of the extra calories.

[gonzomax]

Your butt blows bubble farts,that is why.

[Speaker_for_the_Dead]

@Girl_Hermit

You just know there are going to be people all over the globe buying gum now and checking the toilet for the next few days.

off to buy some gum

It works. I’ve seen it.

[siggma]

Swallowing gum has the potential to block the entrance to the appendix, depending on what kind of gum it is, how much you swallow and how often you swallow it. Since the appendix IMHO is there to maintain and reseed a healthy bacterial flora after an illness, it’s possible it could become infected if it becomes blocked. However, potential is not really statistically relevant so, go ahead and swallow…

Maybe chase it with a few rice paper bible pages while you’re at it, there’s plenty of them on the planet not being used. And don’t forget a glass of fresh urine for good heath now and forever!

-Tom

[Mahaloth]

@gonzomax

Your butt blows bubble farts,that is why.

And this is a* bad* thing?

[Hi_Neighbor]

@Gfactor

Oops. Misread the thread title.

HAHAHAHAHA it just hit me. I was just browsing the threads and noticed one above this one titled, “Methods on reducing the sex drive” or something. I chuckled to myself because it had so many more views than other threads with the same amount of replies probably just because it had the word “sex” in it.

Then I saw this thread and TOTALLY misread it, too! It’s funny because I definitely read through this not too long ago and couldn’t understand what you misread the title for.

[Markxxx]

Swallowing bad is bad if you’re a kid, because kids eat gum and dirt and even apple seeds.

So if you ate gum, it would hold the dirt and apple seeds together and apple trees would grow in your stomach

:o)

[telebox]

@Cat_In_A_Top_Hat

I’ve heard the old stories about how swallowing chewing gum is bad for you, usually with some vague suggestion that they’ll sit in your gut for seven years. I figure that isn’t true, but I’m curious: will swallowing chewing gum hurt you, in any particular way? Is it bad for you, or just not specifically healthy?

Here is one Snopes article on the subject :

Does Chewing Gum Take Seven Years to Digest?

[Cat_In_A_Top_Hat]

@Hi_Neighbor

HAHAHAHAHA it just hit me. I was just browsing the threads and noticed one above this one titled, “Methods on reducing the sex drive” or something. I chuckled to myself because it had so many more views than other threads with the same amount of replies probably just because it had the word “sex” in it.

Then I saw this thread and TOTALLY misread it, too! It’s funny because I definitely read through this not too long ago and couldn’t understand what you misread the title for.

Alright, I get it, now. I admit, tho, it took a few moments >: -)