"Do not swallow your gum, it will remain stuck in your stomach," a sentence more or less traumatic than we have all heard during our childhood. Most of us still believe, even when we are adult! Yet swallow chewing gum is not so harmful to health, even if it is absolutely not a reason to get started ... Explanation.
And that's another myth that collapses! Many people who sincerely believed that swallowed gum really might remain stuck in the stomach. Scientific research has proven otherwise.
Chewing gums contain a variety of ingredients including sweeteners, flavorings and the gum base which provides this candy chew its property. This gum is in turn composed of various components, including polymers such as butyl rubber. This is a synthetic rubber which gives the chewing gum its elasticity. Moreover, this substance is the same as that used for manufacturing rubber gloves.
Thus, by its composition, the chewing gum may be difficult to digest, but certainly does not stick to the stomach, it will be eliminated by natural means. Indeed, when you swallow chewing gum it goes down directly into the stomach, in the same form because the teeth can not cut it down into pieces. The next step is the decomposition of gum component by enzymes, and this is where the problem lies. Our body has enzymes capable of breaking down carbohydrates and acids found in this candy, but does not have enzymes for the polymers of the gum base. Even our stomach acid can dissolve, as these substances are highly resistant. This is the reason why the rubber gloves are very effective for hand protection.
To summarize, the swallowed gum is definitely not digested. It will be eliminated from your body through the digestive system and stool after one or two days.
However, if swallowed chewing gum does not present a danger to the stomach, however chewing may have adverse health effects.
The Dangers Of Chewing Gum
For fresher breath or habit, chew some gum may seem a trivial and harmless gesture. Wrong !
Chewing gum, as mentioned earlier, is composed of different substances that give it its sweet and flavored taste and elasticity. These can harm our health, even if they are not swallowed because they are absorbed by our body through blood.
Chewing gum, as mentioned earlier, is composed of different substances that give it its sweet and flavored taste and elasticity. These can harm our health, even if they are not swallowed because they are absorbed by our body through blood.
Chewing gum can cause digestive disorders
The chewing action gives our body the impression that the person is eating, which produces more saliva. In this way, we swallow more saliva than usual and with the air, which usually results in flatulence and bloating.
Chewing gum without sugar are not safe
This type of chewing gum is especially popular because it does not contain sugar, but it contains more dangerous sweeteners substances. Aspartame, mannitol, sorbitol or maltitol are artificial substances that can harm our health. These sweeteners are associated with various health problems such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes, allergic reactions, etc.
Moreover, these sweeteners may have a laxative if consumed in excessive manner, since they are not fully digested by the body
Moreover, these sweeteners may have a laxative if consumed in excessive manner, since they are not fully digested by the body