Debunking 'Scientific Myths' by Valeria Flores Gómez

Myth: It takes seven years to digest chewing gum

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 02:53:43 UTC

The myth about “chewing gum takes seven years to be digested” because the gum stays stuck in the stomach and it takes a long time to leave the body, which is mostly telled by the parents to their children to avoid them swallowing it. This myth has been told for a lot of years, it started because of the lack of information that people used to have and the limited access from medical information, especially the moms.

1° The ingredients of gum.

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 09:09:00 UTC

According to the article "Does chewing gum take seven years to digest" by the BBC, the gum consists in softeners, preservatives, sweetener, flavoring and a gum base, which most of these ingredients can be broken down by the acid on the stomach and the digestive enzymes.

2° Nothing would reside that long.

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 09:18:33 UTC

Based on Rodger Liddle (on the website Scientific American), a gastroenterologist at the Duke University School of Medicine, nothing that is ingested could resist on the stomach for a long time, it meant that for something to last for many years it should be very large or be trapped in the intestine, and the last one usually is treated fast, because it can cause a lot of problems.

3° The problems that are caused by the gum.

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 09:28:29 UTC

As stated on the website of Duke Health, things like seed, nuts and gum are indigestible for humans, however this won't be able to damage the digestive system. According to Dr. McGreal, gum can actually cause nausea, diarrhea and headaches, but only if gum is swallowed in big quantities.

1° BBC

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 09:47:33 UTC

British Broadcasting Corporation was funded in 1922, one of the most important things that the BBC did was the radio broadcasting of news. Since then, it was considerate one of the news with more monopoly in Europe.

It can be considerate reliable, because of the knowledge that people have of it, the power and trust that have made over the years, which is created in base of telling the truth to the people.

2° Scientific American

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 12:22:58 UTC

Scientific American was founded in 1845, is one of the oldest continuously published magazines from the United States. It shares information like experts' opinions, timely new stories, commentary, videos and more. It has published articles by more than 200 Nobel Prize Winners.

The information from this website must be reliable, because it has a lot of important people such as Nobel winners, and a background within its history that was made from the experience that they were creating by informing people about new data within the sciences such as new inventions, but also problems or inventions of medicine.

3° Duke Health

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 12:23:04 UTC

Duke Health is a center that provides information of diseases and information on the treatments they provide. Duke Health is more know from the Duke Medical University, which also counts with a Nursing University and a Hospital.

The information that is provided from its website must be reliable, because they are putting the knowledge of the teachers and students that are in their university, also because they are a health program that its information should be there to help their patients.

References:

a01646305 — 2025-01-24 12:28:18 UTC

About Scientific American | Scientific American. (n.d.). Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/about-scientific-american/

BBC Home - Breaking news, World news, US news, sports, business, innovation, climate, culture, travel, video & audio. (n.d.). https://www.bbc.com/

Britannica money. (2025, January 23). https://www.britannica.com/money/British-Broadcasting-Corporation

Hammond, C. (2022, February 24). Does chewing gum take seven years to digest? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130625-does-gum-take-years-to-digest

History | Duke Health. (2025, January 14). https://corporate.dukehealth.org/who-we-are/history

Jacintho, D. C. A. (2024, November 22). Los Límites de la Tecnología. Cirion Technologies. https://blog.ciriontechnologies.com/es/limites-tecnologia

Matson, J. (2024, February 20). Fact or fiction?: Chewing gum takes seven years to digest. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-chewing-gum-takes-seven-years-to-digest/

Myth or fact: it takes seven years to digest chewing gum. (n.d.). Duke Health. https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/myth-or-fact-it-takes-seven-years-digest-chewing-gum

Panovski, A. (2024, August 12). Plato’s Phaedo: Is the soul immortal? TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/plato-phaedo-soul-immortal/

Welcome to Duke Health. (n.d.). Duke Health. https://www.dukehealth.org/welcome-duke-health