6 Opinion September 30, 2007 __* Ouer the Edge

Bubblegum epidemic

B HARPUR

STAFF WRITER

I read once that chewing gum can aid
in memory retention. Perhaps this is
why so much gum can be found in the
library, especially in those study carrels
which remain peppered with old gum.
Maybe this says something about how
much we study, or maybe I am just be-
ing optimistic. Whatever the reason for
our gum chewing, there is something
to be said about why gum doesn’t find
its way to a garbage can or the chew-
er’s stomach. It raises an interesting
question, why are we smearing gum
on shared property instead of simply
swallowing it? I think it has something
to do with an old myth about swallow-
ing gum that needs to be addressed.
Chewing gum is usually composed
of five necessary ingredients: sugar,
softener, flavour, gum base and syrup.
Each brand of gum would then use dif-
ferent proportions and flavourings to
make their product unique. Further,
into the combination of these ingredi-
ents goes any number of additives to
make the gums that we love to chew.
That crunchy white coat of Dentyne®,
for example, is composed of Titanium
(IV) oxide which provides that rich
white colour. Regardless of the addi-
tives, it is the basic five that are essen-
tial to any chewing gum.

The essential ingredients
sugar, flavour, softener and syrup are
all readily digested by the body—you
can eat them. The final ingredient, gum
base, cannot be digested. Of course
there is some variation to this as differ-
ent companies use different bases but,
without venturing into the particulars,
the gum base cannot be digested by
the body. This is where myth touches
on fact. Knowing that gum base is
indigestible, someone somewhere
warned that gum should not be swal-
lowed. Somehow this warning became
what we know: swallowed gum will

remain in the digestive tract for seven
years and can potentially block it.
Whoever first warned of
swallowing gum was not foolishly ad-
vising us; people have had impactions
from swallowing gum. Unfortunately,
this is not the whole story, the only
cases of impaction due to gum are in
small children who chewed gum regu-
larly and swallowed it equally as often
(Cotner 1982, Milov et al. 1998). Fur-

ther, there are only a handful of cases
where this happened. Swallowing gum
s a child, especially lots of gum, can
be a problem for them. Children have
smaller intestinal cavities than adults
and are more prone to eating large
quantities of candies; this combination
can lead to bezoars (impactions). This
problem does not exist for adults. With
age the intestines widen, becoming
about 2.5-4cm wide in the small intes-

The Next Step...

KALI FLICK
GENERAL OFFICE ASSISTANT

“We're moving in together,” these
words can be the kiss of death for
some couples and the breath of life for
others. Moving in with your boyfriend
or girlfriend is a big decision. It can
be an emotional, physical and financial
challenge. But after a couple years
and a lot of life experiences shared to-
gether it’s generally a great bookmark
in your relationship. Sharing a home
before walking down the aisle together
has become a very common choice for
many. Like a trial and error marriage.
Unlike falling in love, jumping without

looking may be suicidal. The decision
of moving in together should merit
much consideration. Relationships can
be hard enough without all of the ex-
ternal pressures and opinions of those
around us, especially when it comes

to opinions on living together prior to
matriage. Statistics show that couples
who move in with each other have a
tendency to break up prematurely.
However, many young and optimistic
couples believe that they can beat the

tine and 8-10cm in the large intestine.
Because they widen, adult’s intestines
are less likely to be clogged by pass-
ing gum. Of course, this doesn’t mean
an adult should swallow an entire role
of Bubble Tape®, but swallowing a
flavourless piece of Hubba Bubba®
when it is finished won’t hurt.
Impactions aside, what about
the other problem with gum remain-
ing in the digestive system for seven

odds and not merely become another
dismal statistic. Now, I'm not ready to
move in with my boyfriend. Despite
the fact that I love my boyfriend; he is
handsome, funny and caring, /'m not
ready to push our relationship to the

years? I don’t know where the seven
year value comes from, but I can say
that gum does not stick around. The
digestive system is incredibly efficient
at removing wastes and clearing itself
out. Studies on humans have assessed
fecal output by feeding volunteers
plastic pellets which are collected with
the waste (anyone want to go to Grad
School now). All of the pellets are al-
ways collected unless destroyed by the
examiner during processing (Wick et
al. 1983); nothing stays in the tract.
Gum can even help food pass through
the intestines. Additives like sorbitol
and phenylalanine used as sweeteners
are also laxatives. What’s more, the act
of chewing gum improves digestion
and fecal passage (Basaran and Pitkin
2009).

I can’t be certain if gum is
being smeared on desks because of
this myth. If it is then maybe my es-
say will stop at least one person from
sticking finished gum on the underside
of a study carrel. As healthy adults we
can swallow gum, within reason, and
it will be passed normally. If you don’t
want to swallow it is it so hard to get
up out of your chair to dispose of your
gum?

Basaran M and Pitkin RM. 2009. Gum
chewing to prevent postoperative
ileus. Anatolian Journal of Obstetrics
& Gynecology 1: 2 1308-8254.
Cotner M. 1982. Children Impaction
Due to Bubble Gum Bezoar. Southern
Medical Journal 75(6): 775.

Milov DE, Andres JM, Erhart NA,
and Bailey DJ. 1998. Chewing Gum
Bezoars of the Gastrointestinal Tract.
Pediatrics 102(2): 22.

Wrick KL, Robertson JB, Van Soest
PJ, Lewis BA, Rivers JM, Row DA,
and Hackler LR. 1983. The Influence
of Dietary Fiber Source on Human

next step. Im sharing this with you
because two of my best friends whom
have been together for two years are
not only moving in together... but have
gotten a mortgage and are buying a
home! As much as many of us want
to believe that living together means
sharing long romantic breakfasts and
pouring over the paper together, or
cuddling on the couch every evening,
the reality is typically a bit altered from
this romantic notion. Before these two
love birds step foot in their newly div-
ided space, be sure to keep the follow-
ing in mind. Chores, which one of you
two will be washing out the toilet bowl
and vacuuming the house? Teamwork
is going to be essential once they’re
moved in together and keeping their
focus on ensuring that the house is run-
ning smoothly. Now, I really feel that
I would be remiss if I did not just give
a couple of pieces of advice. Primar-
ily, though, these are directed at men.
Never go to bed angry, always stay
up and argue. Always remember the
three little words, “You’re right dear.”
Keep the lid down, and lastly the best
way to remember your anniversary is