Is it true that accidentally swallowed chewing gum stays stuck in your stomach for 7 years?

One of the main myths many of us have heard since childhood is that if you accidentally swallow chewing gum, it will stick in your stomach for about seven years. However, health experts point out that this is merely a fear with no scientific basis.

It has now been medically confirmed that accidentally swallowing chewing gum, which is commonly used to reduce stress in daily life and provide freshness to the mouth, does not cause any serious health problems.

It is true that since chewing gum is made using artificial substances, our saliva or the digestive juices in the stomach cannot completely dissolve it. Nevertheless, our digestive system is designed with the ability to move anything swallowed forward. Accordingly, chewing gum, which passes from the stomach to the intestines in an undigested state, travels through the body like other food particles and is expelled with feces. This is usually completely and naturally eliminated from the body within a short period of about four or five days.

The belief that swallowed chewing gum sticks to internal organs or the stomach wall is completely incorrect. This does not in any way obstruct the natural functioning or movements of the digestive system. Contrary to what many people fear, a small piece of chewing gum accidentally swallowed does not cause conditions such as stomach ache, indigestion, vomiting, or constipation. However, since the artificial ingredients in it cannot be considered food, doctors further advise against making a habit of swallowing chewing gum.