Has your mom or dad ever warned you not to swallow gum? If so, they probably quoted the phrase, "It takes seven years to pass through your digestive system."
Well, like most of the things posted on this blog, your parents were wrong. While gum may be sticky outside of the body, once you swallow it, it is no different from any other food. The actual truth is that gum can resist being broken down by the body; however, that does not mean the gum cannot pass through your system. If gum did stay in your system, we would probably experience "death by gum" by numerous children, including myself, who once thought these yummy colored circles were meant to be eaten--they weren't. According to our friends at Snopes.com, gum is created with 15%-30% of gum base, which is indigestible. Upon hearing this word, is it clear as to how this myth became "truth", considering digestion is linked not to just the breaking down of food/food substances.
So if anyone tries to warn you about the "harm" of swallowing gum, enlighten them and put this myth to rest!
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Until now I was a true believer in this myth. I never thought it took 7 years to digest however I was under the impression that it did take some time due to the sticky substances their made out of. But im glad to know this myth is fake and ill be sure to spread the word!
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