What happens
when you swallow gum ?
What is gum made of?
Gum was originally made from the
latex sap of the sapodilla tree. This sap was called chicle. There are other
natural gum bases: sorva and jelutong. Sometimes beeswax or paraffin(used to make candles) is used as
a gum base. After World War II, synthetic rubber to replace most natural rubber
in chewing gum. The chewing gum contains sweeteners, flavouring, and softeners.
Softeners are ingredients such as glycerin or vegetable oil. They blend other
ingredients and help prevent the gum from becoming hard or stiff.
 |
| Latex Sap of the Sapodilla Tree |
 |
| Sorva |
What happens when you swallow gum?
Have you ever wondered what really happens when you swallow gum? Then
you’ve probably heard that it stays in your stomach for SEVEN years! Right?
Wrong.
Your digestive system treats the gum like any other food. Some parts of
gum are broken down by the digestive juices in your stomach. Any nutrients your
body can use are saved. The rest is pushed through your digestive system.
However, there is one part of gum that cannot be digested, the gum base.
Gum base consists of chemicals that scientists use to make the gum chewy. These
chemicals resist digestion and instead the body moves it along the digestive
process until it is eventually eliminated. It would usually take about two days
to digest and eliminate any gum you have swallowed.
Even though swallowing gum is harmless, you should try not to as
swallowing large amounts of gum on a regular basis could lead to digestive
problems.
Sujin and Aoife's Joint Project #1
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