What Happens When You Swallow Gum?

While chewing gum is indigestible, it does not actually stay in your stomach for seven years: the body handles anything it cannot digest by passing it through when you go to the loo.

This is just one of many health myths that Dr Carroll and Dr Vreemak debunk in their book, Don’t Swallow Your Bubblegum: Myths, Half-Truths and Outright Lies about Your Body and Health (MacMillan).

Swallowing gum is harmful only when it is swallowed every time you eat one and in a large quantity, as it can block the intestine, or cause constipation or diarrhea.