Why is it bad to swallow gum?

Your body is built to digest the food you eat: When chewed food enters your stomach it is broken down so that your body can take away the vitamins, protein, minerals, and other things you need. The parts of your food that your body doesn’t need are discarded as waste when you go to the bathroom.   

The main reason why it’s not good to swallow gum is because gum does not have stuff like vitamins or minerals that your body needs, and therefore your body cannot benefit from having it in your stomach. Most doctors agree that gum which is accidentally swallowed is just discarded from your body as waste, even though common rumors say that it stays in your stomach forever. 

Because your body will just get rid of gum like waste, you don’t have to worry if you accidentally swallow a piece of gum once or twice. However, spitting it into a trash can when you’re done is really the best thing to do – swallowing too much gum can slow down your digestive system or occasionally cause other problems, and since gum doesn’t break into small pieces like other food you chew, there’s a higher risk of choking. Plus, throwing out your gum in the wrong place can make a sticky mess! – Yuck!