Swallow gum does not grow rubber trees in our stomach, but that is not the reason we keep swallowing it. This is what will happen to the body when you swallow gum. When you eat standard food, there will be 3 processes in the body that will turn it into energy. The first is clear, which is chewing. Is the process of breaking food into smaller and smaller pieces. Meanwhile, saliva covers the chunks we chew, giving enzymes that help destroy food. Finally after being swallowed, stomach acid then converts the remaining food to pulp. So that it allows food to pass through the rest of the digestion smoothly. But gum cannot use the rule. No matter how much we chew it, gum will not turn into small pieces, of course because it is rubbery.
Chewing Gum has around since long ago
Chewing gum has around more than you think. The Maya and Aztecs harvest resin from sapodilla trees. They will dry it, and then it will chew it to prevent starvation. Even then, it has also been recognized and used as a breath freshener. But the gum we know today is made from natural ingredients or synthetic polymers, which are more often rubber butyls. And it is often used as raw material for various products such as adhesive glue, fiber optics, sealants, paper, fuel, and others.
Then Is It Dangerous To Chewing Gum?
But don't worry, because the butyl in gum doesn't make you sick. That's because they won't break even if we chew, even digested by stomach acid. However, our body will handle gum like other foods that cannot be fully digested, such as cucumber and corn. Just like the food we ate before, gum will also come out, within a day to 2 days after consumption. So, there is absolutely no gum that stays in the body when you swallow it. But that is no reason to swallow a pack of gum in a day. The more gum you swallow, the more likely it is to accumulate in the digestive tract. This lump of gum has the potential to clog your digestive tract. Which will cause blocking of the intestine, and will trigger constipation and prolonged pain. This obstacle, commonly called bezoar, is the definition of undigested food in the stomach.
If It Happens, What Should We Do?
An 18-year-old teenager from Israel has experienced it, bezoar has blocked his digestive system. The reason is because he regularly swallows 5 pieces of gum every day. The clot has a very large size, so the doctor must dissect the digestive tract. And cut the lump of gum into small pieces and then pull it out one by one. But if we just chew it, it won't cause any problems at all. Even according to one study, chewing gum can help you to relax. Because this activity helps to reduce the levels of the hormone cortisol, which is a stress hormone in saliva. So there is no need to be afraid at all to chew gum, but after consuming it do not swallow. Our bodies have worked hard all day, why did you even make it work extra? And of course don't throw it carelessly, because it's dirty. Be a clean citizen, throw garbage in its place.
