A closer look
Swallowing chewing gum does not result in it remaining in your digestive tract for seven years, as the human body simply passes the indigestible synthetic rubber base through the intestines and excretes it within a few days. The childhood myth was almost certainly invented by exhausted parents who were absolutely terrified of their offspring turning their internal organs into a sticky, mint-flavored biohazard. While your stomach acid cannot technically break down the butyl rubber used to make the gum chewy, your highly efficient plumbing system simply treats it like a stubborn piece of corn and pushes it toward the nearest exit with relentless efficiency. You survived decades of profound anxiety about that accidental bubblegum swallowing incident in third grade for absolutely no reason at all. It turns out the human digestive tract is perfectly capable of handling the occasional piece of accidental garbage, which is comforting considering what modern fast food is made of
