A: This myth is definitely false.The body is very good at digesting material that it can use and passing the rest out in the stool. January 15, 2015, 8:14 AM. Carrots won't give you superpowers and, no, gum doesn't stay in your stomach for seven years Rumor has it that gum stays in your stomach for 7 years but is there any truth to this? However, there is no evidence to support the idea that it can stay inside your system for 7 years. Does Gum Stay In Your System For 7 Years? Read full article. The gum technically could glob together and become lodged in your gastrointestinal tract. Does gum stay in your stomach for 7 years? The simple answer is no. This is something I heard so many times during my childhood, that I was always too afraid to swallow my gum and insisted on throwing it away. Chewing Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest. By: health enews Staff. The urban legend that a piece of gum will sit in a person’s stomach for seven years if swallowed has stood the test of time, making many wonder just how many pieces of gum are down there. Almost everyone has swallowed a piece of gum, but few kids have ever needed a doctor because of it. “This is folklore,” UAMS gastroenterologist Dr. Farshad Aduli says. This weeks Reactions takes us back to the playground. It’ll stay in your system for seven years!” Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but that statement is full of hot air. ... "Don't swallow chewing gum—it will stay in your system for seven years!" We’ve all heard it before: “Don’t swallow your gum! I’ve never been sure if grandmother’s actually believe that or just enjoy the scare tactic on their grandkids. That's not true. “The digestive system has difficulty digesting chewing gum, but the gum doesn’t stay in the stomach … You might have heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. Either way we need to know, does gum actually stay in your stomach for 7 years? It turns out, there is a lot less than a person might think. An exception to this would be people with gastroparesis, or paralyzed stomach, which can result in a buildup of food in the stomach. It does not. I'm sure many of you, like me, have always heard the old rumor about gum. Does gum stay in your stomach for 7 years? My grandmother told me that if I swallow my gum, it will stay in my stomach for seven years. To see if your elementary-school buddy was right, Reactions looks at the mechanics and chemistry of digestion in order to settle the myth. But even in extreme cases, Dr. McGreal says it’s unlikely that gum would stay in the stomach for seven years. Q: Is it true that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years?. 10 food myths busted. As far as the dangers of swallowing gum, they’re pretty much the same as the problems linked to chewing gum. 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