Why can't we eat gum?

Question

When I was young, my parents told me that they can be chewed, but cannot be swallowed. If we do eat swallow, it will make us sick. Is it a myth?

Answer 1

 Swallowing gum is harmful because your body cannot digest it, and this does not mean that it remains in the stomach,Rather, the chewing gum moves through the digestive system, while retaining its relative consistency, and is excreted from the body with the faeces.

Comments

It seems that we need to be careful not to swallow it. I thought if we accidentally swallow a piece of chewing gum, it will affect the digestive system that makes the intestines obstructed because of its stickiness.

Answer 2

Swallowing a large mass of gum, or many small pieces of gum over a short period of time, can block the digestive tract in rare cases.  

Comments

Oh, I did not know this. I guess we need not let it happen to our digestive system then.

Answer 3

 I once experienced that. I unexpectedly swallowed a chewing gum but it didn't harm me come out through fecal matter. But more amount of gum cannot be digested by our digestive track leading to make harm to us.

Comments

I agree that it will not be harmful if accidentally swallowed but in a massive volume. It is not cool if we eat every time have chewing gums.

Answer 4

I believe its harmful for health and it could lead to problems like blockage inside your stomach or wind pipe which is a serious issue so its better not to swallow it .

Comments

Speaking of the wind pipe, I agree that it might be obstructed when the gum is so sticky and cannot expelled when accidentally swallowed it.

Answer 5

ok so you cannot eat gum because if you swallow a gum and it sticks in your stomach or in your throat or any body part it is very dangerous and even if it goes in you stomach it will not digest.

Comments

Indeed. We cannot able to digest this thing. The worst thing is it will block the passages in our digestive system.

Answer 6

Large gum consumption has been linked to intestinal obstructions, particularly in young children. When a lot of gum is eaten at once or when someone consumes gum often, this can happen. By doing so, it can collect into a big, inedible mass known as a bezoar.

Answer 7

Our bodies move large material that cannot be digested  through the digestive system and out of our body in bowel movement. Swallowing gum can block the digestive tract

Answer 8

No, it is not a myth. Generally speaking, it is not recommended to swallow chewing gum because it is not digestible and can cause gastrointestinal blockages. Additionally, some chewing gums contain sugar alcohols which can cause gastrointestinal distress if too much is ingested. Therefore, it is best to avoid swallowing gum and instead, spit it out after chewing.

Answer 9

Swallowing gum is harmful because your body cannot digest it, and this does not mean that it remains in the stomach,Rather, the chewing gum moves through the digestive system, while retaining its relative consistency

Answer 10

swallowed a chewing gum but it didn't harm me come out through fecal matter. But more amount of gum cannot be digested by our digestive track leading to make harm to us.