Corn Flakes(r): An Aphrodisiac?
Written by: Aaliyah Ferris


Certainly not. Corn Flakes(r), the quintessential American-born
breakfast cereal complemented perfectly with strawberries, banana
slices and, of course, milk, has surprising origins. Those tasty
flakes of corn you serve for breakfast were actually invented by
a group of 19th century Seventh Day Adventists to aid sexual
abstinence and curb masturbation tendencies.

As part of their strict vegetarian diet, which excluded alcohol,
caffeine  and tobacco, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a strict
Adventists and superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium,
served various meals, dull in taste, believing spicy, hot foods
encouraged sexual appetites. Most meals consisted of wholesome
wheat, rice, oat and corn dishes, Kellogg believing the greatest
of human ills began in the bowels and that a strict vegetarian
diet with a plethora of fiber and water worked to cleanse
impurities and poisons from the body. He further believed that
all sexual acts aside from those used for procreation, including
masturbation, were sinful.

Tending to the inmates in his care, Kellogg accidentally
overcooked a batch of wheat, making it stale. Nevertheless, the
batch nor the money would not to be wasted. Dr. Kellogg and his
brother, Will, processed the batch as usual. But the batch formed
flakes instead of dough sheets as a result. The tasty cereal was
quite the hit in the Sanitarium, propelling the two men into
business shortly thereafter. Corn Flakes(r), named Granose at
that time, was registered for a patent in April of 1894.

While today, nobody can imagine cereal boxes without the prize or
gimmick, Corn Flakes(r) was the pioneer in this type of
marketing. The company offered their popular box with a Funny
Jungleland Moving Picture Booklet in the early 1900s to boost
sales.

The brothers also began expanding into different products and
experimenting with various grains and ingredients. But Will's
decision to add sugar to the recipe to achieve mass appeal
conflicted with his brother and ultimately caused a split. In
1929, the company introduced the next great hit, Rice Krispies,
making a "Snap, crackle and pop" sound when combined with milk.
Today, Kellogg's is known for everything from Raisin Bran(r) to
Eggo(r) Waffles, Fruit Loops(r), Nutri-grain Bars(r), Pop
Tarts(r) and Special K(r). The company is still headquartered in
its original town of Battle Creek, Michigan, publicly traded
(NYSE: K) and responsible for supporting the livelihood of more
than 25,600 full-time employees.

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