When you were a child, did your parents tell you that chewing gum is bad for your health? There are numerous myths about this – for example that the stomach sticks together as a result. But is that actually true? We explain whether it is dangerous or not to swallow chewing gum.
If you’re on the go and want fresh breath, you can grab chewing gum. Apart from the good taste, chewing gum has some positive side effects: Among other things, it improves blood circulation in the brain, which in turn can increase its performance. Anyone who chews gum on a regular basis knows the problem: it’s time to dispose of the gum, but there’s no trash can nearby. After all, you shouldn’t swallow it, because there are always eager warnings about it. But because of its stickiness, can chewing gum really clog the digestive tract and have a negative impact on our health?
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Swallowing gum: dangerous, isn’t it?
Although the myth persists, swallowing chewing gum is not generally dangerous . The sugar and other additives such as flavorings are removed from the chewing base during digestion and enter the bloodstream. The rest cannot be processed by the body, passes from the stomach into the small and large intestine and is then excreted. The stickiness of the chewing gum is not a problem – because during digestion a film of moisture that wraps around the mass prevents the chewing gum from sticking somewhere.
Chewing gum in moderation
As with (almost) everything, the same applies to chewing gum: the amount makes the poison. In large quantities, for example, chewing gum that contains the sweetener sorbitol can cause health problems. Even small amounts can cause digestive problems such as flatulence, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Anyone who is prone to complaints of this kind should avoid chewing gum with the ingredient that is often only listed as “E20” on the packaging.
