Simulation shows what actually happens inside your body when you swallow chewing gum
A simulation has shown what actually happens if you swallow chewing gum, and it's not pretty.
It's a warning that many of us were given as teenagers, whether from parents, teachers trying to deter chewing gum, or on the grapevine at school - don't swallow your chewing gum, because it will stay in your stomach for seven years.
Horror stories also circulated about people who kept swallowing gum, which then built up in their bodies over time.
But what would actually happen if you were to swallow a piece of gum?
Advert
Well, while swallowing it every time is not a good idea, the good news is that if you accidentally swallow your chewing gum then your body knows how to deal with it.
The video was shared to YouTube by the account @Simplihowww, has an animated clip of a man swallowing gum.
It then goes to an internal view of the man's stomach, where the gum begins to bubble and fizz in the stomach acid, leaving just the core.
A voiceover explains that some parts of the gum are digestible, for example any flavourings or some additives which are put into the gum.
In fact, this is how things like nicotine gum allow the chemical to pass into the body.
However, the base of the gum itself is not digested, the video explained, as it shows how the gum passes through the intestine.
But unlike all those terrifying warnings about gum staying in your stomach for seven long years, it showed that this is not what happens if you do swallow your gum.
The truth is far more predictable, and pretty obvious once you think about it.
Your body actually just treats a piece of chewing gum like anything else you swallow which it can't digest - it goes through your intestine, and eventually comes out the other end.
Our bodies often have things that we can't process or draw nutrients from,, and getting rid of them is literally the main reason that we poo.
So gum is just like any other matter the body expels, and the video explains that after a couple of days or so the gum will just come out when you go to the toilet.
Nonetheless there have been some rare cases where swallowing gum has led to some health problems, however this is more extreme - if you swallow your gum by accident once or twice this is probably not going to be a cause for concern.
One boy however did get some problems when he started eating chewing gum on purpose, blocking up his digestive tract as a result.
The boy began to complain that he was experiencing pain in his abdomen as well as diarrhoea, with doctors then finding that he had a large mass of chewing gum in his stomach.
Medics had to remove the gum by placing a metal tube down the boy's throat and bringing the gum up that way, and it took 'several passes' to get all of the gob of gum out.
With that in mind, it's probably best to not make a habit out of swallowing chewing gum - just make sure you throw it away properly and don't stick it under the desks or tables.
Kit Roberts