health Lifestyle #body
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00You may have heard from your second grade teacher that if you swallow gum, it could stay in your stomach forever.
00:06Or worse, it could grow into a rubber tree in your stomach.
00:11Well, that's true. So don't do it.
00:16Okay, maybe not. Swallowing chewing gum isn't really going to plant trees in your stomach,
00:21but that's no reason to start doing it regularly.
00:24Here's what happens to your body when you swallow gum.
00:28When you eat standard food, three processes go to work in your body to turn that food into fuel.
00:34The first is obvious. It's chewing.
00:38The process breaks food down into smaller and smaller pieces, increasing the surface area.
00:44Meanwhile, saliva coats those pieces, delivering enzymes that help break down the food.
00:50Finally, once swallowed, the stomach acids turn any remaining food pieces into mush.
00:56This lets the food pass through the rest of your digestive tract smoothly.
01:01But gum doesn't play by those rules.
01:04As much as you chew it, gum doesn't break into smaller pieces.
01:08It's because it's gum. Duh.
01:11Gum has been around much longer than you'd think.
01:15Ancient Mayans and Aztecs harvested resin from a sapodilla tree.
01:20They would dry it into a cha and chew it to stave off hunger.
01:24Even back then, it was also recognized as a breath freshener.
01:29However, most gum today is made from natural or synthetic polymers, most commonly butyl rubber.
01:36It's used in all kinds of products, including adhesives, fiber optics, sealants, cling film, paper, fuel,
01:44explosives, sporting equipment, roofing, bottle stoppers, and tires.
01:49But don't worry. The butyl in your gum won't make you sick.
01:53That's because it can't be broken down.
01:56The wad of chewing gum hits your stomach intact.
01:59Your saliva enzymes and your stomach acid can't touch the butyl in the gum base.
02:04But that doesn't mean it just hangs out.
02:07Your body is equipped to handle gum the same way it deals with other food that it can't fully digest,
02:12like corn and sunflower seeds.
02:15The muscles of your digestive tract move it along and eventually flush it out of your system
02:20in a day or two, along with everything else.
02:23So no, the gum doesn't stay in your body when you swallow it.
02:26But that's no reason to start gulping it down by the pack.
02:30The more gum your body has to process, the higher likelihood that it will build up.
02:35This gum mass can potentially clog your digestive tract,
02:39causing an intestinal blockage which can trigger stomach pain or constipation.
02:44There's a lovely name for this blockage.
02:48A bezoar.
02:49An 18-year-old Israeli woman once suffered from a bezoar that blocked her stomach.
02:54The problem?
02:55Turns out she had been swallowing at least five pieces of gum every day.
03:01The blockage had grown so large that doctors had to break it into smaller pieces
03:05and then fish it out of her piece by piece.
03:08But chewing gum alone isn't necessarily bad for you.
03:11A couple of small studies have shown that the act of chewing gum can actually help relax you.
03:16Because it can help reduce levels of cortisol, a common stress hormone, in your saliva.
03:22So feel free to unwrap a stick. You won't be alone.
03:2656% of Americans chew gum, each about 280 sticks per year.
03:32It's a $2 billion industry in the U.S.
03:36But be wary of swallowing it once you're done.
03:39The occasional piece of gum won't hurt.
03:42But with everything else your body already does for you, why put it through the extra work?
03:47Also, don't spit it out on the ground.
03:50That's just gross.
03:51Find a trash can.
03:53Like a normal person.