Beware.. Strange consequences of swallowing gum

Gum can build up in the digestive tract and harden into a “stone mass” called a bezoar, and chewing other indigestible materials, such as hair, can increase the risk of developing this condition.

Although eating vegetables and fruits is very beneficial, bezoars can sometimes form from the indigestible parts of these foods, such as cellulose.

Speaking to The Conversation, Dr Dan Baumgart, an expert in pharmacology and neuroscience from the University of Bristol, said that persimmons, especially unripe ones, tend to form “bezoars” because of their high content of tannins, which are found naturally in plants.

“Fibers from fruits, vegetables, milk, medications, and chewing gum (such as swallowed gum) can form an indigestible mass in the stomach, while ingesting inorganic materials such as paper, polystyrene, and plastic can also cause bezoars,” Baumgardt added.

Bezoars can lie silently in the digestive tract for years, causing no symptoms that would alert doctors or family members to their presence, provided they do not interfere with the normal function of organs. But they can also cause a range of problems, including nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, ulcers and even internal bleeding.

Health experts also point to the compulsive consumption of non-edible materials, such as hair, paper and sand, which is medically called pica. Young children, as well as adults with learning disabilities, are among the most common people to suffer from pica, but adults who are mentally stressed or compelled or have a lack of iron or zinc in their diet can also develop the condition.

Pregnant women can also get pica, which is thought to be a reaction of their body seeking out certain types of nutrients.

Source: Daily Mail