Yes, you can swallow biodegradable gum, just as you can swallow regular chewing gum, although it's generally not recommended.
While neither type of gum is easily digested, your body's digestive system is capable of processing and eliminating it within a few days. Here's a breakdown:
What Happens When You Swallow Gum?
- Regular Gum: Traditional chewing gum bases are made from synthetic polymers, essentially a type of plastic. Your stomach can't break these down. It passes through your digestive system largely unchanged.
- Biodegradable Gum: These gums use plant-based alternatives to traditional plastic polymers. While "biodegradable" sounds appealing, your digestive system still isn't designed to efficiently break down the gum base.
The Digestive Process
- Stomach: Your stomach acids and enzymes attempt to break down the gum. However, the gum base resists digestion.
- Intestines: The gum moves into your small intestine, where further attempts at digestion occur. Again, the gum base remains mostly intact.
- Elimination: Finally, the gum passes into your large intestine and is eventually eliminated from your body with other waste products. The entire process typically takes 3-7 days, similar to other indigestible materials.
Risks of Swallowing Gum
While swallowing gum occasionally isn't usually harmful, consistently swallowing large amounts could potentially lead to:
- Digestive Blockage: This is more likely in children or individuals with pre-existing digestive issues. A large mass of undigested gum could theoretically contribute to a blockage in the digestive tract.
- Nutrient Absorption Interference: Excessive gum consumption might interfere with the proper absorption of nutrients from food.
Why It's Not Recommended
Even though your body can typically handle swallowed gum, it's best to avoid the habit because:
- It offers no nutritional value: Gum is essentially empty calories.
- Potential, albeit rare, risks exist: While unlikely, blockages are possible.
- It's simply unnecessary: There's no benefit to swallowing gum.
The Bottom Line
Swallowing biodegradable gum won't poison you, and it will eventually pass through your system. However, it's still better practice to dispose of it properly in a trash can or compost bin (if certified compostable) instead of swallowing it.
