Does chewing gum really take 7 years to digest?

Childhood scare: we've all been told that swallowing gum causes it to stay in our stomach for seven years. But what does science really say about this?


Fortunately, for those who have swallowed chewing gum, it does not take seven years to be expelled. Julia Zumpano, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition in Ohio, explains that gum takes about 40 hours to pass through our digestive system, just like other foods.

However, our body does not actually digest chewing gum. Dr. Nancy McGreal, a gastroenterologist at Duke University Medical Center, specifies that our body does not have the enzymes necessary to break down certain components of chewing gum. It thus passes through our intestinal system intact.

Doctors even sometimes find swallowed chewing gums during procedures such as colonoscopies. But these chewing gums were swallowed recently, not years ago, reassures McGreal. Gum contains substances such as resins and emulsifiers that our bodies cannot digest.

Ingesting small amounts of gum generally does not pose a risk. The Illinois Poison Control highlights that small amounts do not cause major issues, but large quantities can lead to digestive troubles such as vomiting or abdominal pain.

Also, swallowing large amounts of gum can, in rare cases, cause intestinal blockages. A 1998 article in the journal Pediatrics reports cases of obstructions in children after swallowing gum. Adults can also be affected, as shown by a 2020 report describing a woman who swallowed 25 gums per day for three years, leading to an accumulation of 30 gums in her cecum.

Finally, sorbitol, a sweetener present in sugar-free gums, can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea by drawing water into the intestines. McGreal recalls a patient with unexplained diarrhea, which was eventually attributed to their excessive consumption of sugar-free gum.