Fiction. It’s true that our bodies can’t digest the gum resin in chewing gum. But just like other things we can’t digest, it eventually passes completely through the digestive system.

According to Dr. David Milov, a pediatrician with the Nemours Foundation in Wilmington, Del., in rare cases swallowing a lot of gum can block the digestive tract. That is more likely to happen if the gum is swallowed along with other non-digestible things.

In an article published in 1998 in the medical journal Pediatrics, Milov documented three cases of children who required medical attention after swallowing gum. Two of the children were toddlers who were frequently given chewing gum despite their parents’ knowledge that they usually swallowed it. It was a ”source of levity” for the families, Milov said, until the gum obstructed the digestive tract and had to be removed in the emergency room.

The third case involved a child who swallowed gum along with several coins. The coins stuck together and lodged in her esophagus.

In addition to resin, chewing gum contains preservatives, flavoring and sweeteners that the body can digest. Most are consumed even if you don’t swallow the gum. Chewing a lot of sugary gum can add a lot of calories and promote tooth decay.

But other ingredients can also cause problems. Excessive intake of sorbitol, a common ingredient in sugar-free gum, can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. And too much cinnamon flavoring from gum has been linked to mouth ulcers.

Milov discourages giving any chewing gum to kids under the age of 5. They are less likely to understand it can’t be swallowed and more susceptible to digestive problems.

– Markian Hawryluk