What happens if you swallow gum facts

Wikipedia website. Available at:. Accessed November 5, Hopcroft K. Is it true that swallowing chewing gum can block your bowel?

Times Online website. Accessed July 24, Kruszelnicki KS. Great moments in science—chewing gum. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation website. Lawrence J. Medical myths debunked. Mikkelson B. The seven year glitch. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Snopes website. Chewing gum bezoars of the gastrointestinal tract. Pediatrics website. Accessed July 22, Picco M. Chewing gum: is swallowing it harmful?

Ask a digestive system specialist. The Mayo Clinic website. What happens to swallowed gum? The Nemours Foundation website. Exceptional Nurses Winchester Hospital was the first community hospital in the state to achieve Magnet designation, recognition for nursing excellence.

Supporting Our Community Our tremendous staff gives back to our community by coordinating free health screenings, educational programs, and food drives. What Our Patients are Saying A leading indicator of our success is the feedback we get from our patients. We also have another Wonder you might enjoy Contrary to popular belief, those apple seeds won't grow in your stomach, Cass!

But we Wonder what happens if you plant them in your backyard?! We learned that swallowing gum, once in a while, is not terrible for you Cassie. However, you don't want to make it a daily habit-- your stomach might start to complain!

Our bodies are designed to break down the food we consume-- that's how we get our energy and nutrition! We hope you keep your tummy happy, Alexis! Try your best to stop swallowing gum It sounds like you'd have a stomachache, Evelyn! Even though gum doesn't take 7 years to digest, we don't think your stomach would appreciate so much gum!

WOW, we appreciate your story, Shaydie! While we don't recommend swallowing gum on a regular basis, we're glad you're here to report that you're A-okay! Thanks for sharing this comment with us! Hey there Kai. We are so excited that our chewy Wonder was right up your alley!

Thanks for sharing your comment and using your awesome imagination! Hey there Wonder Friend Abbey! We know that gum is best chewed, and although it can be swallowed, it usually doesn't get stuck in the throat. It's important to chew gum safely-- it's okay to chew gum while you're sitting or mostly inactive, but if you're playing sports or moving around a lot, chewing gum is not a great idea. Doctors and adults are able to help if you are ever in a situation where gum is stuck in your throat, but we sure hope you don't have to worry about that!

We appreciate your comment, Abbey! It's always great to remind our Wonder Friends to be safe! Hi there, Dan, we're so excited that you enjoyed our gum Wonder! We thought that the 7 year rule was true, but we learned from this Wonder that we were wrong! Some of the parts of gum, such as sweeteners, softeners and flavorings, are broken down by the digestive juices in your stomach. Great Wonder, Hanna! We bet you would enjoy checking out this Wonder from the past Corbin, you are not alone!

Hi, Julie! We've never heard that explanation before, Melissa, but we think it's funny! We hope you enjoy the rest of your week! We appreciate you visiting us and leaving us a comment! That happens a lot when younger kids are first learning how to chew gum, Nicci! We liked hearing your story about gum! Hello, Bubble Gum! You can tell us your ideas for future Wonders by leaving us a comment or by clicking on the "nominate" button at the top of every page in Wonderopolis.

It's super easy and fun to share your ideas here! It sounds like you really did learn some new facts in Wonderopolis today, Team McNeil 16! We really appreciate all the comments you and your "Team" classmates leave for us We appreciate that you love to learn and that you like doing quick writes! Thanks for letting us know you liked the video for this Wonder Hi, Team Unger 3! That's really dangerous! You're right about chewing gum helping some people with put an end to bad habits, Team Unger 21!

Sometimes people who are trying to stop smoking or stop biting their nails chew gum to help them quit! You should probably try NOT to swallow your gum all the time Angel!

It's most likely ok if you accidentally do it on occasion, though. Hello, Team McNeil 7! We liked your comment very much, Team McNeil 20! You learned a LOT of cool new facts about what happens when you swallow gum! If we had to say just one ingredient in gum that would surprise most people, we would guess it would be synthetic rubber. It seems kind of weird to think about chewing flavored rubber, doesn't it? We try not to swallow gum, but we have by accident before.

We estimate that we've swallowed pieces of gum in our lifetime. Yes, we have accidentally swallowed gum before, Kelly! Thanks for sharing that you have, too! Hi, John! Thanks for hanging out in Wonderopolis with us! Happy Friday, Jackson! We hope you had fun learning about gum in Wonderopolis today! Thanks for sharing what you think about swallowing gum, Saad!

We think it is probably possible to choke on gum if you have been chewing a lot of it. We hope all of our Wonder Friends are super careful when they chew gum!

We really appreciate your creativity, and we're super glad you stopped by Wonderopolis today! Hi, Julia! We bet lots of Wonder Friends accidentally swallowed gum when they were just learning how to chew it Thank you for sharing your personal connection to this Wonder!

We hope you will visit Wonderopolis again tomorrow and join us as we all learn some cool new things! We hope Wonderopolis will become your favorite website, too! Hello, Mrissa! Thanks for sharing your personal connection to today's Wonder! We like chewing gum, too, but we're still super careful not to swallow it! We're glad you learned about bubble gum, hummingbirds AND decorative eggs this week! We're glad we know not to be so worried when we accidentally swallow gum now, too, Jason!

Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis today! Woo, hoo! We're super proud of Alle for sharing what she learned from today's Wonder! Way to go, Alle! Thanks so much for sharing your views on chewing and swallowing gum, Mrs. Hi, Zeek! Hello, Team Unger 6! We really like how you shared the new vocabulary words you learned and also some of the cool facts! Thanks for visiting today's Wonder, Team Unger 15! We appreciate all your questions! We're not sure why it takes so long to digest gum, but we know that it's OK to swallow gum by accident every once in a while.

We wouldn't want it to become a habit, though! We sure appreciate your comment and your opinion, Caleb! Thank you for sharing BOTH with us today! Thanks so much for hanging out in Wonderopolis with us today, Christina! We hope you enjoyed today's Wonder!

We appreciate your comment today! We think the video for this Wonder did just that! We know from historical records and documentation, that over 2, people were passengers on the Titanic.

Hello, Mr. Draper's Class! Here's just one more hint: "K" is for Wonder! Thanks so much for letting us know you enjoy the Wonders of the Day and learning in Wonderopolis, Tanner! We appreciate hearing that from you today! We hope you'll share with your brother what you learned by exploring today's Wonder, Chris!

Thanks for letting us know you thought today's Wonder was awesome, Chris! We liked learning about what happens if we swallow gum, and we're glad you did, too! It's probably OK to accidentally swallow your gum once in a while, Hallie, but we shouldn't swallow gum all the time. We invite you to re-explore today's Wonder to find out why! We sure do, McKenzie! We like blowing bubbles, too! We've done that before and it was soooo funny, Slaney!

Thanks for helping us remember a super fun time we had blowing bubble gum today! It shares a little information about the Titanic and that fateful night in April of !

You're right, Doniesha! Thanks so much for visiting today's Wonder and sharing your comment with us! We don't think so, Katlyn! We bet it is just like when you swallow gum Thank you for hanging out in Wonderopolis today! We appreciate your comment That really IS a lot of thinking, Sydney! Thanks for sharing your knowledge about what happens when you swallow gum! Hi, Shundee! We sure appreciate you leaving us this comment today!

Your stomach actually digests what it can from the swallowed gum and sends the rest of it on its way! We think it's really cool to learn you can blow a bubble for the first time, too, Cassidy! Thanks so much for sharing your personal connection to today's Wonder about gum! Hi Hunter! Did you know there is already a Wonder about that? That would be quite a sight, wouldn't it, Rahul?

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What happens if you swallow gum? Does gum stay in your digestive system for seven years? Can your digestive system digest all the parts of gum? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Ready to learn more about chewing gum and the digestive system? Here are a few fun activities you can chew on with some friends or family members: Do you have a favorite type of gum? Which flavors do you prefer? Ask an adult to take you on a field trip to a local store to check out the variety of chewing gum they have for sale.

If you have some extra money, buy a couple of different types of sugar-free gum that you've never tried before. Take them home and try a blind taste test. Take one stick of each type of gum and unwrap them. Put them in a bowl and mix them up. Now try each one individually. Which one do you prefer? What flavor is it? Maybe you'll find a new favorite. Whatever you do, though, don't swallow your gum! Do you know what happens to the food you eat?

Jump online and check out this cool Digestive System video to learn more about the trip your food takes through your body. Wouldn't it be cool if your body was transparent and you could see the food travel through the digestive system? If you're up for a challenge, try creating a drawing that shows the path of food through the body! You now know that swallowed gum doesn't sit in your stomach for seven years.

What a relief that must be. But what if it did? Or what if you swallowed a watermelon seed by accident? Would a watermelon start to grow in your tummy? Think about some things that you might accidentally swallow and then make up a funny story about what might happen afterward. You can tell your story to friends or family members, or you can write it down. If you write out your story, be sure to post it on Facebook , because we'd love to read it.

Let your imagination run wild. Your story can be as crazy and silly as you want it to be. You never know, you might start a myth of your own! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering?

Wonder Words resist resin nutrient eliminate chemical estimate digestive jeopardy cavity Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion. Feb 12, Sep 10, Caetlin Moon Aug 26, I learned that your body can digest most parts of the gum just not the base of the gum. Aug 27, Absolutely right, Caetlin! Parents that if you eat the green part of a watermelon then it will grow inside of your stomach.

I need a little help to know 4 facts about what will happen when you swallow gum. Apr 9, What happens if you swallow gum. Third paragraph: "Nope!

Caesar Chavez Feb 25, It worries me that I might get Cavities because I chew gum frequently. Mar 1, Maya Davis Nov 1, I'm glad I don't have to worry about swallowing gum anymore!

Nicholas b. Sep 19, Nov 17, Katie Kat Nov 8, Hi again. I heard that from my family but i don't know who told me that because it was along time ago. Nov 10, Thanks for sharing, Katie Kat!! Your Welcome. Nov 13, Katie Kat Oct 31, I have heard that swallowing toothpaste helps get gum out. Is that true? Nov 2, May 2, MYstic bob bud Apr 12, Apr 12, You're welcome!

Try not to swallow your gum! Killian Feb 13, Feb 14, We are grateful-ish for that comment, Killian. Feb 8, Meadow Jan 2, This was so amazing to learn about. I am glad that swallowing gum does not do a lot of damage but is still not recommended. Also, are the people at wonderopolis certified doctors? Jan 2, Dec 7, Comment Reader Nov 16, How many comments do you have in all of the wonders????????? I'm a comment reader!!!!! Nov 16, Abigail Oct 24, I love it!

The best thing to do on Wonderopolis is read about all of the fun things you have never learned about and I love to learn so this could be my favorite website! If you want to join on the fun pack all your stuff and come join the fun!

Oct 25, Someone Apr 28, Hailey Faith Mar 27, Thank you have a nice day. May 6, Shania Feb 16, Feb 18, Important question, Shania! We hope this Wonder was helpful! Sanjana Srini Dec 17, The part I found the most interesting was when the article talked about the resin and how it was tough to digest because I thought that gum could be digested all the way through! Dec 18, Brooke Dec 15, I once ate a butter cup flower. Are they dangerous? Dec 15, I accidentally drink a glass of water with a worm on it, or so i guess..

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Martha Sorren. It is rare to face health complications as a result of swallowing gum. When swallowed in bulk or alongside other objects, gum can cause obstructions in children's intestines.

Swallowing gum won't provide your body with nutrients because human bodies aren't designed to properly digest it. Like with most foods, gum will be excreted from your body shortly after you swallow it.

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