Chewing Gum?

Question
This is kind of a strange question, but I've always wondered - if you chew sugarfree gum but do not swallow it, do you still ingest five calories? Or are those calories in the gum base that you spit out? This is one of those life quesitons that's always kind of intrigued me. Any input would be appreciated.

Answer
Hello Lisa!

  Thank you for your nutrition question.  The calories come from the other ingredients not from the gum base.  If you were to swallow the gum base your body would not even digest it.  Instead it passes it through your digestive tract.
    Chewing gum is made of either natural or synthetic materials (gum resin), preservatives, flavorings, and sweeteners. The body can absorb sweeteners, such as sugar, and they can add up to a lot of calories if you chew a lot of sugary gum. But the human digestive tract can't digest the gum resin. It's moved through the digestive tract by the normal pushing (peristaltic) actions of the gut. The gum's journey ends during a trip to the bathroom.

For more answers to your nutrition questions check out "Ask the Nutritionists" by George Rapitis at www.authorhouse.com

-George Rapitis, Bsc. Nutritionist

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