How long does gum stay in your stomach when you swallow it?

Almost everyone has swallowed a piece of gum, but few kids have ever needed a doctor because of it. You might have heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. That's not true. read more

But gum still doesn't stay in your digestive system for seven years. The boy who had the "'taffy-like' trail" was just 4 when he underwent the removal procedure. It's possible that the gum might have remained in his tract for seven years, but intervention by physicians circumvented that. read more

You might have heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. That's not true. Though your stomach can't break down a piece of gum the same way it breaks down other food, your digestive system can move it along through normal intestinal activity. In other words, it comes out the other end when you have a bowel movement (poop). read more

Tougher things than gum will often pass through harmlessly in a couple of days, as any parent of a toddler who swallowed a penny can tell you. Of course, if you swallow something that is too large to fit through the various valves and tubes in your guts, it can cause an intestinal obstruction. read more