from your second grade teacher that if you swallow gum,

或許和你說過，如果你把口香糖吞進肚

it could stay in your stomach forever

它會永遠待在你的胃裡

or worse, it could grow into a rubber tree in your stomach.

或者更糟，它會在你的胃裡長出一棵橡膠樹

Well, that's true, so don't do it.

嗯，那是真的，所以別吞下去

(peppy instrumental music)

(活潑音樂)

Okay, maybe not.

好吧，或許不會

Swallowing chewing gum isn't really gonna plant trees

吞口香糖不會真的在你的胃裡種樹

in your stomach, but that's no reason

但那不代表你就可以天天

to start doing it regularly.

吞口香糖

Here's what happens to your body when you swallow gum.

以下是當你把口香糖吞下時，你的體內發生的事

When you eat standard food, three processes go to work

當你吃一般的食物，你的體內會歷經三階段

in your body to turn that food into fuel.

將食物轉換為能量

The first is obvious, it's chewing.

第一個很明顯，那就是咀嚼

The process breaks food down

這個過程將食物分解為

into smaller and smaller pieces,

越來越小的塊狀

increasing the surface area.

增加表面積

Meanwhile, saliva coats those pieces, delivering enzymes

在此同時，唾液包裹這些塊狀物，傳送幫助

that help break down the food.

分解食物的酶

Finally, once swallowed,

最後，一旦吞下去

the stomach acids turn any remaining food pieces into mush.

胃酸將任何殘存的食物塊轉變成糊狀

This lets the food pass through the rest

這讓食物在接下來的消化通道中

of your digestive track smoothly,

能夠順利通過

but gum doesn't play by those rules.

但是口香糖不來這套

As much as you chew it,

不論你嚼多久

gum doesn't break into smaller pieces.

口香糖都不會變成小塊

That's because it's gum, duh!

那是因為它是口香糖啊，呆呆的！

Gum has been around much longer than you think.

口香糖已經存在得比你想的要久

Ancient Mayans and Aztecs harvested resin

古代瑪雅人和阿茲特克人從人心果樹

from a sapodilla tree.

收成樹脂

They would dry it into a chaw

他們會將它曬成一塊可以嚼的東西

and chew it to stave off hunger.

然後拿來咀嚼，防止飢餓感

Even back then, it was also recognized

即使在那時候，它也被視為

as a breath freshener.

一種口氣清新劑

However, most gum today is made from natural

然而，現在大多口香糖都是用天然或是

or synthetic polymers, most commonly butyl rubber.

合成的聚合體做成的，最常見的是丁基合成橡膠

It's used in all kinds of products,

它被運用在許多產品裡

including adhesives, fiber optics, sealants, cling film,

包含黏著劑、光纖、密封劑、保鮮膜、

paper, fuel, explosives, sporting equipment, roofing,

紙、燃料、爆裂物、運動器材、屋頂、

bottle stoppers, and tires.

瓶塞以及輪胎

But don't worry, the butyl in your gum won't make you sick.

不過別擔心，你口香糖內的丁基合成橡膠不會使你生病

That's because it can't be broken down.

那是因為它無法被分解

The wad of chewing gum hits your stomach intact.

這團口香糖會毫髮無傷地到達你的胃

Your saliva enzymes and your stomach acid

你的唾液酶和胃酸

can't touch the butyl in the gum base,

都無法動搖口香糖中的丁基合成橡膠

but that doesn't mean it just hangs out.

但那不代表它就會擱在那裡

Your body is equipped to handle gum the same way it deals

你的身體可是配備好能夠將口香糖

with other food that it can't fully digest,

和其他同樣無法完全消化的食物一起解決

like corn and sunflower seeds.

比如玉米和葵花籽

(peppy instrumental music)

(活潑音樂)

The muscles of your digestive tract move it along

你的消化道肌肉會一路推送它

and eventually flush it out of your system in a day or two,

最後在一到兩天內就將它和其他東西

along with everything else.

一起排出

So, no, the gum doesn't stay in your body

所以，不會的，當你把口香糖吞下肚時

when you swallow it,

它不會擱淺在你的體內

but that's no reason to start gulping it down by the pack.

但那不代表你可以一包接一包地胡亂吞

The more gum your body has to process,

你的身體需要處理越多的口香糖

the higher likelihood that it will build up.

它們就越有可能堆積起來

This gum mass can potentially clog your digestive tract,

這個口香糖團有可能堵塞你的消化道

causing an intestinal blockage

導致腸堵塞

which can trigger stomach pain or constipation.

引發胃痛和便秘

There's a lovely name for this blockage, a bezoar.

這種情況有一個可愛的名字：胃石

An 18-year-old Israeli woman once suffered

一名 18 歲的以色列婦女曾經

from a bezoar that blocked her stomach.

因為堵塞她胃的一塊胃石飽受痛苦

The problem?

問題在哪？

Turns out she had been swallowing at least five pieces

原來是她每天都會吞下至少五塊

of gum every day.

口香糖

The blockage had grown so large that doctors had to break it

堵塞物實在太大了，醫生還必須把它

into smaller pieces

切成小塊

and then fish it out of her piece by piece.

然後從她胃裡一塊塊釣出

But chewing gum alone isn't necessarily bad for you.

然而，單單只是嚼口香糖並不見得對你有壞處

A couple of small studies have shown that the act

幾項小研究發現咀嚼口香糖的動作

of chewing gum can actually help relax you,

其實可以幫助你放鬆

because it can help reduce levels of cortisol,

因為那可以幫助降低唾液中的皮質醇濃度

a common stress hormone, in your saliva.

那是一種常見的壓力荷爾蒙

Feel free to unwrap a stick.

放心撥開一片吧

You won't be alone, 56% of Americans chew gum,

你並不孤單，有 56% 的美國人會嚼口香糖

each about 280 sticks per year.

每人每年約 280 片

It's a two billion dollar industry in the U.S.,

那在美國是 20 億元的產業

but be wary of swallowing it once you're done.

但小心嚼完了別吞下去

The occasional piece of gum won't hurt,

偶爾幾次沒關係

but with everything else your body already does for you,

但是你的身體都幫你做了那麼多事了

why put it through the extra work?

何苦再幫它找茬呢？

Also, don't spit it out on the ground.

還有別把口香糖吐在地上

That's just gross.

那很噁心

Find a trashcan, like a normal person.

像個正常人，找個垃圾桶吧