#Gum #Saliva #Enzymes We have all heard of terrible things that take place inside our stomach when we swallow gum. But is it really that big of a deal if you forget to spit it out? You may have heard from your 2nd-grade teacher that if you swallow your gum, it could stay in your stomach forever. Or worse, it could grow into a rubber tree. Well, that's true. Don't do it. Just kidding. Swallowing chewing gum isn't really going to plant trees in your stomach, but that's no reason to start doing it regularly. Here's what happens to your body when you swallow gum. When you eat standard food, three processes go to work in your body to turn food into fuel. The first is obvious: Chewing. The process breaks food into smaller and smaller pieces, increasing the surface area. Meanwhile, saliva coats those pieces, delivering enzymes that help break down the food. Finally, once swallowed, the stomach acids turn any remaining food pieces into mush. This lets the food p...