What happens if you swallow chewing gum? What happens if you swallow gum What happens to the chewing gum in the stomach.

15.05.2020

Since in childhood everyone was frightened that they should not swallow gum, because the product is not digested for a long time, or even remains in the stomach forever, it is worth figuring out how long it takes for this process. After all, everyone will agree that chewing gums are not the most useful product; they should not be used for peptic ulcers and gastritis. But even without it it is difficult to imagine your life, because gum freshens breath, cleanses oral cavity and this is a godsend for those with a sweet tooth. The product is recommended by dentists for keeping teeth and mouth clean.

Is it dangerous to swallow?

Chewable product composition:

dyes;
sweeteners;
softeners;
flavors;
rubber or polymer base.

Large amounts of synthetic material in the intestines can cause problems with bowel movements.

The last ingredient complicates the digestion process, other components are digested and absorbed, like all foods. The synthetic substance can be of different origin, and it depends on how long the gum will be digested in the stomach. In any case, the elastic will be pulled out. Since the chewing product is soft, the walls of the organs are not mechanically damaged. That is, if you accidentally swallow one gum, nothing bad will happen. But if you do this constantly and swallow more than one product, then this is really harmful. This can provoke persistent constipation and even intestinal obstruction.

Chewing is especially dangerous for young children. It is not recommended to use the product under 3 years old in order to avoid undesirable consequences - suffocation of the child, blockage of food passages.

Can chewing gum really be dangerous if swallowed? How long does it stay in the stomach, and should you worry if a child accidentally swallowed gum?

Contrary to the belief of many adults and children that swallowing gum is dangerous to health, there is nothing wrong with that. Like any product that enters the gastrointestinal tract, chewing gum is digested under the influence of acids and enzymes, and those components that the stomach could not digest are excreted from the body without any problems, without sticking to the intestinal walls and without sticking them together. The only thing that separates gum from digesting regular food products - this is the time it takes to remove residues from the body. Chewing gum can stay in the digestive tract for hours or days longer than food, but it will eventually suffer the same fate.

Thus, experts say, claims that chewing gum stays in the stomach for a long time is pure fiction. Chewing gum is a real danger before it has been swallowed. This is because young children can choke on gum with ease. Perhaps that is why parents come up with "scary" stories about what will happen if it is swallowed, wanting to wean their children from the habit of chewing gum.

Related news:

Fecal transplant is a procedure that has been used to restore the bacterial flora in the digestive tract. She will help people suffering from various diseases intestines - such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis.

Through prevention, gastritis can be avoided. After all, preventing a disease is much easier than treating it in the future. In this article, we will consider the types of prevention of gastritis, and will try to formulate the basic rules for avoiding the development of inflammation of the gastric mucosa.

Prevention types

Prevention of gastritis is:

primary;
secondary.

These two types of prevention are fundamentally different from each other.

Primary prevention involves actions aimed at preventing the development of inflammation of the gastric mucosa in healthy person.

Secondary prevention is carried out to prevent the development of exacerbation of chronic gastritis, that is, for a longer continuation of the remission stage.

In 90% of all cases of gastritis, it is caused by the bacterium Helicobacter Pylori. According to the latest scientific studies, almost the entire population of the planet is infected with this microorganism. This bacterium can be safely called a component of the normal microflora of the stomach. It does not cause the development of gastritis in everyone.

The inflammatory process in the gastric mucosa can be provoked by the person himself.

Stick healthy eating... Fast food, overuse of fried, spicy, smoked and salty injures the stomach. Avoid store-bought convenience foods and cook your own meals with natural ingredients.
Eat regularly. Long breaks between meals are bad for your stomach.
Cook food in a double boiler, oven, simmer and boil it. But give up frying and smoking, or at least reduce it to a minimum.
Use chewing gum correctly. It is useful after meals and can be chewed for no longer than 10 minutes. Otherwise, when it is chewed, a large amount of hydrochloric acid begins to be produced in the stomach. While chewing gum, the body thinks that it is getting food, and begins to intensively produce enzymes. But since food does not enter the stomach, hydrochloric acid corrodes its walls, and over time, it develops inflammatory process.
Stop smoking. Tobacco smoke can not only cause the development of gastritis, but also provoke cancer of the stomach or esophagus.
Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation and only with food.
Get enough sleep. In a rested body digestive system works more smoothly.
Try to avoid stress and spend more time in a comfortable environment. We understand that the implementation of this recommendation is very difficult in modern world... Walking at least 30 minutes a day will improve blood circulation internal organs.

All of these tips are suitable for every person. And, adhering to them, you can not only prevent the development of gastritis, but also strengthen the health of the whole organism.

The causes of childhood gastritis are slightly different. It is more typical for children acute inflammation gastric mucosa. Children often drink different chemical substancesmistaking them for food, such as strawberry-flavored dish detergent.

To prevent the development of acute gastritis in children, you should:

Keep all detergents, household chemicals, medicines out of the reach of children.
Talk to the baby, and explain to him what you can eat and what you absolutely shouldn't even bring close to your mouth.
Do not give your child too hot food and drinks. They can burn the stomach lining.

Secondary prevention of gastritis is aimed at preventing the development of an exacerbation of the disease in its chronic course.

It includes:

Regular visits to the gastroenterologist for examination and consultation. The frequency of visits is determined by the doctor himself, taking into account the patient's condition and his "conscientiousness" in the implementation of treatment recommendations.
Implementation of the doctor's recommendations. During remission, the patient may be prescribed medications to be taken. Treatment may consist of:
- Proton pump inhibitors. These drugs reduce the production of hydrochloric acid, and are indicated for gastritis with high acidity.
- A complex of drugs against Helicobacter pylori infection, which consists of antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, De-nol.
- Enzymes that help digest foods.
Diet. Healing nutrition is an integral part secondary prevention gastritis.
To give up smoking. Cigarette smoke constantly irritates the stomach lining and provokes inflammation.

The list of allowed and prohibited foods depends on the type of gastritis you have. You can discuss it in detail with a gastroenterologist at a consultation.

Below are the general rules nutrition for all types of chronic gastritis:

You need to eat often, the interval between meals should not exceed 3 hours. The serving size should be no larger than a fist.
Food temperature should be neutral. Hot and cold food can cause aggravation.
You should give up carbonated and alcoholic beverages, store juices.
It is best to cook food in a double boiler, or boil it. It is allowed to bake, stew. But you cannot fry and smoke.
For all types of gastritis, fatty, smoked, spicy foods should be avoided. It is also not recommended to use semi-finished products, non-natural products with GMOs.
Coffee is allowed during no aggravation. But milk should be added to it. It is best to drink coffee after meals, so it will not harm the stomach lining.
You need to eat in a relaxed atmosphere, slowly, and thoroughly chewing food. Snacks in a hurry are of no benefit, and poorly chewed food irritates the stomach.

When carrying out secondary prevention of gastritis, you can use some traditional medicine:

Flax seed decoction. Due to its slimy consistency, a decoction of flax seeds envelops the walls of the stomach, heals them and protects them from hydrochloric acid.
Chamomile tea is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.

Thanks to the prevention of gastritis, it is possible to prevent the development of this disease, and to improve the digestive system, and with it the entire body.

How to start your stomach at home?

Heaviness in the stomach, belching, bad smell from the mouth - many are familiar with a similar situation. But no one realizes that it was not just the stomach, but a serious violation of its functions. A similar situation can happen at any time for both an adult and a child. It is important to understand the cause of what is happening, learn to recognize the symptoms and know how to start the stomach.

Why might the stomach not work?

Finding the source of the problem that has disturbed the physiological process of the stomach is actually easy. We are talking about the main reason that leads to a stomach stop - unhealthy diet. Abuse of "harmful" products, unbalanced, low-quality food is the basis for disruption of the work of not only the stomach, but also the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. People prone to overeating and those who like to eat at night are more susceptible to this pathology.

The fast pace of life is the second reason that disrupts the stomach. Eating on the go prevents you from chewing food thoroughly. Overflowing with air, large pieces of food, the stomach does not cope well and this leads to periodic troubles. There are also less common reasons:

sudden weight loss;
smoking;
nervous exhaustion;
fatigue;
diseases of the oral cavity.

State manifestation

Stomach pain should alert the person.

How to understand that the stomach has stopped working? When the following symptoms appear, a person needs to be alert:

stomach ache;
fast saturation;
loss of appetite;
air outlet through the mouth in small portions;
bloating;
nausea;
feeling of a coma in the stomach;
increased body temperature;
constipation, as a sure indicator of dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

Diagnostics

The above signs of deterioration accompany patients with ulcers, cancer, gastritis. That is why it is important to quickly make a comprehensive examination and prescribe timely treatment. When establishing the correct diagnosis, doctors use the following diagnostic methods:

examination, palpation, tapping;
the appointment of laboratory tests (blood, stool);
endoscopic examination of the digestive tract;
using contrast agent when conducting an X-ray;
instrumental examination (ultrasound);
in case of dysfunction nervous system, it is important to seek the advice of a specialist.

Consideration of the final results of diagnostic examination methods allows doctors to understand what to do in a particular situation and to prescribe individual treatment.

What to do when stomach stops?

What to do when the stomach is not working? The solution to such a problem must be approached comprehensively. After clarifying the situation that led to the complication, the necessary treatment is prescribed. What should be done if the stomach has risen?

The child has

It is quite easy to recognize a problem in a child - the symptoms are immediately apparent. The kid constantly cries and refuses to eat. At the first sign, it is necessary to lay the baby on one side, asking him to bend his legs at the knees. You can put a warm heating pad on your stomach and leave it in this position for a while. After 15-20 minutes, the child needs to be given a couple of sips of water and stroking the belly in the navel in a clockwise direction.

If your baby is worried about nausea, try to induce vomiting. You cannot feed, but an hour after the attack, tea is allowed. Food is introduced into the diet gradually.

If a similar problem in the baby often recurs, it is necessary to reconsider the nutrition. Eliminate foods that cause indigestion from the diet, pain and be sure to consult a doctor. The specialist will write down the recommendations: a medicine, herbs for relieving pain and bringing organ functions back to normal. It is important to remember that treating a child is different from treating an adult. Do not give drugs that work for you for the same problem. Children's organism may react to them in a completely different way.

In an adult

If you feel nauseous, you need to take pills to regulate the condition.

If the stomach has stopped in an adult, therapy consists of taking drug and diet therapy. If you feel sick, it is worth taking pills to resolve the condition. They help the stomach work by restoring muscle tone and restoring proper movement from the esophagus to the intestines. When using intoxication products, it is recommended to take absorbent drugs ("White Coal").

The next step is to establish correct reception food. In the acute phase, food must be completely abandoned. On the following days, portions should be small, a meal every 2 hours. The portions are gradually increased.

In pregnant women

The period of pregnancy is characterized by new sensations in the expectant mother - nausea, the feeling that the food is lumpy in the stomach. Constipation often bothers women even with proper nutrition... The way out in this situation is to eat often and in small portions. Attention should be paid to dietary products. If the regulation of nutrition during pregnancy did not help to cope with the problem, the symptoms become pronounced, it is necessary to consult a gastroenterologist. Tablets "Festal", "Gevikson", "Pancreatin" - drugs that create a favorable environment for the stomach to work.

Pregnancy is a period when a woman is responsible not only for her own health, but also for the health of her baby. If you cannot remove unpleasant sensations, call ambulance... Sometimes, such phenomena indicate serious complications in the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to start at home after poisoning?

From sudden food poisoning warning yourself is difficult. Nausea, vomiting, belching, diarrhea, fever knock a person out of their usual life rut. And after poisoning, you need to force the intestines, stomach to perform its functions.

If the disease proceeded in mild form, and you have dealt with it at home, in order to start the stomach, you must first go on a diet. The affected mucosa cannot cope with the production of gastric juice. The acidity decreases, which can cause inflammation.

Acid-salt balance after vomiting will help restore pharmaceutical preparations.

In the acute period of poisoning, it is better to refuse food altogether. Pharmacy preparations ("Regidron", "Smecta") will help to restore the acid-salt balance after vomiting and only gradually introduce rice or oatmeal on the water. The first week is a period of strict adherence to the principles of healthy eating:

in small portions 5-6 times a day;
with plenty of drink (mineral water helps to restore).

In addition to cereals, are allowed:

potatoes (without oil);
boiled fish;
baked apples, bananas;
cottage cheese.

After 7 days of the diet, boiled meat, kefir are introduced into the diet. To make it easier for the body to cope with this situation, a medicine can help. Enzymes will help improve digestion, restore bowel function. Tablets "Creon", "Pancreatin", 1-2 pieces are taken each time after meals. But if the condition does not improve, it hurts, the stomach is bursting with air, consult a doctor. It is possible that the effects of poisoning are much stronger than you think.

Help of folk remedies

At home, you can do without medicines, and replace them with herbal decoctions. Herbs are not only able to make the organ work, but also cleanse it from the effects of intoxication.

Cinnamon

Nobody would have thought that regular cinnamon could improve the situation. To make a medicinal drink, 1 tsp is enough. pour 200 ml of hot water. Stir thoroughly, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. The drink must be taken on an empty stomach, half an hour before meals. It is not recommended to use cinnamon broth more than 4 times a day.

Fennel decoction

To prepare the broth, mix buckthorn, marshmallow root and fennel. A tablespoon of the mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water, brought to a boil and left for 30 minutes to beneficial features the herbs remained in the liquid. Within a month, after lunch (breakfast, dinner), you need to drink 200 ml of broth.

Taking milk thistle

The stomach began to ache - milk thistle powder will help. You can buy it at the pharmacy and start taking it 6 times a day for 1 tsp. After a course of herbal medicine, you need to consolidate the effect. To do this, you need plant seeds: 1 tsp. seeds three times a day.

Drinking baking soda

You can resort to the time-tested method. 0.5 tsp soda, pour a glass of hot water, stir and drink. After a short time, belching appears, but the stomach does not hurt or feel sick.

Useful exercises

In combination with pills, herbal medicine, to make the stomach work, and subsequently for prevention, a set of simple exercises is used:

“Bike” - you need to lie on your back, bend your knees and imitate how the pedals spin;
lying on your back, bending your knees and wrapping your arms around them, you need to swing on your back;
"Birch" - from a prone position, raise your legs straight up and lower them down behind your head, trying to touch the floor.

These exercises will not let you down if the stomach stops working, constipation appears, and air leaves poorly.

Nutrition rules if the stomach has risen

Since problems with the digestive system are due to the fault of food and nutritional failure, a properly regulated diet will help prevent the stomach from getting up:

equipped comfortable, quiet dining place;
leaving the table with a slight feeling of hunger;
carrying out a fasting day once a week;
the inclusion of a sufficient amount of vegetables, fruits and herbs in the menu;
the use of non-hot ready-made meals.

Why is there a burp of air after eating?

Each person's stomach contains from 1 to 1.5 liters of air, which invisibly enters the digestive tract during eating or talking.

The presence of air contributes to a more harmonious work of the stomach: it increases motility and facilitates the production of enzymes and acids necessary for digesting food, and normalizes intragastric pressure.

After eating, belching occurs when, for some reason, the amount of gas in the stomach exceeds the specified rate or the cardiac valve is unable to keep air inside.

With normal food consumption, a person swallows air in small (1 - 3 ml) sips, the excess is imperceptibly removed from the stomach in small portions during a conversation.

Belching can occur in those who often eat on the run or in a hurry, and swallow large volumes of air.

Excessive conversations at the table, oddly enough it sounds, can also cause belching of air. There is nothing wrong with this process.

In many countries, belching with air is considered acceptable etiquette, since a person cannot consciously restrain an impulse.

Increased swallowing of air, aerophagia, and problems with the respiratory apparatus contribute.

For example, those who often suffer from runny nose and have to breathe through the mouth swallow more air.

The use of inhalers for various indications contributes to the excessive flow of gases into the stomach, like smoking, and overuse chewing gum.

Excessive air intake from the outside is not the only reason why belching occurs.

In the process of digesting foods such as beans, peas, lentils, beans, alcohol, coffee, spicy and spicy, carbonated drinks, a large amount of gases are released in the body, which must be excreted either through the intestines or through the esophagus.

Belching occurs after whipped drinks containing small air bubbles.

In a healthy person, belching with air can appear after a plentiful meal, that is, a banal overeating.

Despite the fact that the stomach is able to stretch, this process takes some time. Therefore, if you have eaten more than usual, belching with air is an attempt by the body to normalize intragastric pressure.

In addition, if the stomach is too full, the cardiac valve cannot fully close and hold the contents of the stomach completely, so excess air is released.

It is the inability of the cardiac valve to effectively block the transition from the stomach to the esophagus that explains the belching after eating during active physical exertion.

Leg swings, bends, abdominal exercises, twists, any exercises from a lying position increase intragastric pressure and increase the load on the cardiac valve.

If you eat shortly before exercising, then belching with air or even a small amount of food is your body's attempt to make room for additional deformation of the stomach.

Increased pressure on the cardiac valve provokes the appearance of belching in perfectly healthy women during pregnancy, especially in the later stages.

After the first trimester, an increase in the fetus leads to a displacement of the internal organs of a woman, the pressure on the diaphragm and intragastric pressure increase.

But in itself, belching with air in such cases is not a sign of deviations, but rather a normal reaction of the body to changes.

Babies should also regurgitate in the first months of life - this process is necessary for proper assimilation breast milk or a mixture.

Belching as a symptom of diseases

Belching by itself rarely indicates the presence of any serious pathologies or abnormalities, especially if belching with air appears rarely, has no smell or taste, does not cause any special inconvenience (except for a characteristic sound).

But in combination with other, often unremarkable symptoms, belching with air may indicate the presence of serious diseases stomach, esophagus, biliary tract, of cardio-vascular system etc.

In addition, constant belching of air is also a reason to see a doctor and get diagnosed.

Lump in throat and belching

The feeling of difficulty swallowing, better known as a "lump in the throat", is familiar to many from fairly everyday situations: poorly chewed food, emotional excitement, nervous tension.

But the regular appearance of this sensation may indicate the presence of rather serious diseases, often life-threatening.

The most common cause of difficulty swallowing is esophagitis, an inflammation of the lining of the esophagus.

In this disease, irritated mucosa is especially susceptible to the development of additional pathogenic processes, including the formation of ulcers and cancer cells.

A patient with esophagitis experiences discomfort when eating, often - sharp pain in the chest and shoulder blades, after eating, suffers from belching and burning in the esophagus.

Esophagitis can be accompanied by a malfunction of the cardiac sphincter, a disease called gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The bridge between the stomach and the esophagus does not close completely, leaving a lumen, or does not close at all, so the contents of the stomach are constantly thrown into the esophagus, aggravating the inflammation.

Involuntary vomiting when changing body position, nausea, heartburn, sour taste in the mouth, constant belching may be added to the above symptoms.

The sensation of a lump in the throat can be triggered by a malfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter, achalasia of the cardia.

With this disease, the coordination of the muscles of the esophagus and the gastric sphincter is disrupted, as a result of which the esophagus narrows in the lower part and stretches in the upper part.

With a progressive disorder, it becomes more difficult for the patient to swallow, and the contents of the stomach increasingly enter the esophagus and even into the nasopharynx.

If the disease is left untreated, it is possible to develop esophagitis, the formation of scar tissue on the esophagus and a chronic disorder of the digestive function.

It is difficult for a cardiac achalasia patient to swallow, he is often worried about a dry throat, scratching, chest pain, especially when swallowing, heartburn and belching with air or food when changing body position.

Belching and nausea

Constant belching of air in combination with nausea and heaviness in the stomach may indicate a malfunction of the stomach, slow or impaired digestion of food, insufficient release of enzymes and acids.

These deviations are accompanied by a number of diseases, so the diagnosis must be carried out especially carefully.

The most famous and one of the most common diseases with such symptoms is gastritis, an inflammatory process on the stomach lining.

As a rule, pain in the stomach area is added to nausea and belching, especially after eating.

Additional alarms can be brittle nails and discoloration. skin - against the background of chronic gastritis, the body ceases to absorb iron and vitamin B12.

The disease may be accompanied by general weakness, lethargy, diarrhea. Similar symptoms are characteristic of stomach cancer, especially on early stages, therefore, in no case should you delay your visit to the doctor.

In most cases, modern medicine will be able to relieve you of gastritis with simple medications, and cancer treatment is especially effective in the early stages.

Belching and nausea often indicate peptic ulcer, deeper damage to the gastric mucosa.

The presence of an ulcer may be indicated by frequent pain in the stomach, especially immediately after a meal or with a long break between meals (for example, at night).

Abundant and frequent vomiting, after which the pain in the abdomen dulls, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite - these are also signs of peptic ulcer disease.

Belching and nausea are accompanied by pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, especially chronic.

With this disease, the process of digestion of food is disrupted and gas formation increases, hence the symptoms.

With an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, the patient often suffers from bouts of vomiting, abdominal pain occurs after eating and is given to the back.

Often, the disease is accompanied by unstable stools, alternating diarrhea and constipation.

How to get rid of belching?

The causes and treatment of belching, especially frequent belching, should be determined by a professional doctor.

If the belching is not accompanied by additional symptoms (abdominal pain, sore throat, nausea, weakness, etc.), but still bothers you, you should start treatment by changing your eating and diet habits. This is the simplest and effective method get rid of belching.

Eliminate the possibility of excessive swallowing of air while eating: take your time, chew each piece thoroughly.

If you are talking at the table, make sure that the conversation does not interfere with the calm absorption of food.

At first, this behavior at the table may seem difficult or awkward to you, but over time it will become a habit and become natural.

By the way, thorough chewing will help you better control your satiety, avoid overeating, and give your stomach time to develop all the enzymes necessary for digestion.

Avoid chewing gum and smoking immediately after a meal - these habits contribute to excess air intake.

Try to consume as little carbonated drinks as possible, including kvass and beer, and whipped drinks containing air bubbles (milkshakes and oxygen shakes). Do not drink through a straw - much more air is swallowed in this way.

Avoid active physical activity immediately after eating, especially bends, twists, swings and any other exercises that actively engage the abdominal region.

Exercise increases your heart rate and stimulates blood flow to your muscles, thereby depriving your stomach of the resources it needs to properly digest food.

Going to bed after lunch is also not recommended - the pressure on the cardiac valve increases, the risk of stomach contents being thrown into the esophagus and, as a consequence, belching and heartburn appear. It is best to walk for 20 - 30 minutes at a brisk pace.

To get rid of belching, you will have to change your usual diet a little. Avoid heavy foods, fatty and fried foods high in cholesterol.

It is necessary to limit the consumption of foods that cause increased gassing: legumes (peas, beans), cabbage, onions, coffee, alcohol, white bread.

Spices, including salt and black pepper, irritate the stomach lining, so you will have to give up everything that is hot, salty, smoked, and spicy.

Milk and dairy products can be consumed in limited quantities, and only if you are confident that you can tolerate lactose well.

Pay attention to the foods that trigger your belching. Individual intolerance or allergy to certain elements can cause a variety of digestive problems, including a feeling of heaviness, bloating, and belching.

If you cannot independently identify a reaction to a particular type of food, you can get tested for allergens.

Develop the habit of eating often, but little by little. This will not only help get rid of belching, but also improve the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.

At the same time, it is important not to snack, for example, with sweets or sandwiches, but to break up the meals of a full-fledged food for more times. If for lunch you are used to eating soup and a second, then divide this meal in two.

Fruit is best consumed separately from other dishes, contrary to the popular tradition of serving them for dessert.

Fruits are high in fiber, which is best absorbed on an empty stomach, and acids, which can interact with micronutrients in other foods, causing stomach discomfort and disrupting digestion.

Image copyright Thinkstock

Remember how we were scared as a child? Do not swallow chewing gum, otherwise it will remain in your stomach forever! The correspondent decided to digest the testimony to find out if this was true.

Just imagine swallowing a piece of chewing gum in the summer of 2006. The owner of the White House was also George W. Bush. Social network Twitter was just waiting in the wings. "Pirates of the Caribbean II" topped the movie ratings. It seems that all this was a long time ago, but if, according to the prevailing myth, you swallowed chewing gum then, your body would have completed the process of digesting it only now, in 2014.

When we were children, we were told not to dare to swallow chewing gum because it takes seven years to digest. And even earlier, we believed that it would lie in the stomach, invulnerable to the usual processes of breaking down and processing food. This statement has been repeated with unshakable conviction from generation to generation on school playgrounds in many countries. However, is it justified from the point of view of medical science?

Chewing gum consists of a polymer or rubber base, sweeteners, flavorings, preservatives, softeners. Sugar and flavoring ingredients such as peppermint oils, are easily broken down and quickly excreted from the body. Likewise, softeners such as vegetable oils or glycerin, also do not pose a problem for the human digestive system. The only ingredient that can resist stomach acid and intestinal digestive enzymes is gum base.

Traditionally, many manufacturers use the gum or resinous sap of the evergreen sapodilla tree, which grows in southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands, as a chewing base. However, since World War II brought rationed chewing gum with them to theaters around the world during World War II, sapodilla trees have failed to keep up with the growing demand.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Synthetic materials are used in modern chewing gum

Most chewing gums today use other natural or synthetic polymer bases. The FDA approves the use of a variety of substances, including butyl rubber, which is used in, among other things, inner tubes for automobile and bicycle wheels and self-tightening elastic films. Each manufacturer has their own recipe for achieving superior gum elasticity.

But even if the rubber base doesn't degrade, that doesn't mean it lasts in your gut for seven years.

And it doesn't wrap itself around the heart, as some claim. Because chewing gum is just a small lump, it eventually leaves the body through the digestive tract.

Foreign bodies, such as coins, usually come out of the stomach on their own - provided that their size does not exceed two centimeters. Chewing gum has one distinct advantage over many other items that a person might accidentally swallow - it is soft.

The only reason chewing gum can last up to seven years in the body is because of its significant volume. And even symptoms such as constipation do not always allow it to be detected in time.

One of these children was a four-year-old boy who had suffered from constipation for two years. It was so difficult for him to go to the toilet that his parents started giving him chewing gum as a reward to help him empty. The child was given five to seven records a day, and he always swallowed them instead of spitting them out.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Chewing gum is not easy to get rid of ...

For four days we tried fiber, oils and enemas. Nothing worked. Then the doctors, under anesthesia, removed from the boy's rectum a mass resembling toffee candy in consistency. The mass consisted mainly of rubber. Although the substance was not up to seven years old, it posed a lot of problems for the boy.

In the body of another patient, a girl who was also four years old, doctors discovered a multi-colored mass, which, in fact, also turned out to be chewing gum. According to the doctors, the patient used to swallow the gum quickly so that she could be given more.

The third case occurred with a one and a half year old girl. The doctors found four coins in her stomach, stuck together with a sticky substance that resembled wax. It turned out that she regularly swallowed chewing gum, as well as small coins. The families of the two children were aware of the fact that their children swallowed chewing gum, considering this habit a manifestation of frivolity, the authors of the report say.

Swallowing large amounts of gum is not a good idea. However, if you happen to suddenly swallow a lump, it is unlikely to cause you any harm. At least there is no evidence in favor of this version.

And if you swallow gum now, it won't get stuck in your stomach and will come out well before the 2020 Olympics kick off.

Legal information. This article contains only general information and should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a physician or other healthcare professional. The BBC is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the materials of the site. The BBC is not responsible for the content of other sites linked to on this page, nor does it recommend commercial products or services mentioned on these sites. If you are concerned about your health condition, see your doctor.

As a child, were you also frightened by all kinds of heavenly punishments, including painful death when you swallowed chewing gum? You have grown up, and now you are wondering if it is really harmful?
Let's deal with this - once and for all!

Chewing gum is meant to be chewed, obviously. But sometimes unpleasant accidents happen.
Perhaps you swallow it with a sip of water ... Or maybe you just had nowhere to spit it out!
And you may have heard stories of chewing gum remaining in your stomach for seven months, seven years, or some other absurdly long period.
The gum swallowing myths were super popular in your childhood, weren't they? Perhaps you still believe in the sad versions you heard in childhood of what will happen.

So what actually happens when you swallow chewing gum?

Gastroenterologist Lisa Ganju, Associate Professor of Medicine Medical Center Langon at New York University has answered the question of what happens in your digestive system when you swallow gum (and is it bad).

In general, you can say that the chewing gum passes through your digestive tractlike any other food - but not completely digested.
“If your digestive system can digest a tough steak, it can handle gum, too,” explains Ganju. Acids and enzymes are really capable of dealing with it. The only subtle point is that the gum does not dissolve completely due to its chemical properties, and its residues are not absorbed into small intestine... And, of course, there is no particular period of time during which it will not be "digested".

So yes, it can actually come out naturally!
And no, it does not stick to the intestines and does not form a huge "stone" of gum. Even if it doesn't completely dissolve, says Ganju, it will simply be carried out along with other fecal masses, like, say, an unopened grain of popcorn. The only time swallowing gum might bother you is a chunk that's too big to pass through your esophagus, but it probably won't occur to you to swallow, and it is certainly difficult to swallow unnoticed!

The experts, though, advise against swallowing gum, but not for the reasons you thought you were.
“Chewing gum has absolutely no nutritional value. That is why it should not be swallowed, ”says Ganju. Also, the whole point of gum is to chew it until the taste is lost and then spit it out. “The gum won't hurt you or kill you, but it's illogical to swallow it,” adds Ganju.
And do not swallow large volumes of gum - you can simply choke on them. But the same recommendations are true for any large piece of food.

This way, the gum will not remain in your stomach and will not kill you. But spitting it out is still worth it.
So why is this myth of irreparable consequences so popular? Apparently, this is just a misunderstanding of the fact that gum is not completely digested. But the fact that it is not digested or absorbed does NOT mean that it remains inside you! “It's akin to the myth that you will grow an apple tree inside if you swallow an apple seed,” says Ganju. There are many myths about health, and some of them are difficult to dispel.

In addition, artists often find chewed gum. best use... Take Douglas Copeland's Gum Head, for example.