Cornflakes have garnered immense popularity as a breakfast option enjoyed by numerous people throughout the day. However, the intriguing origin of cornflakes is linked to an unusual connection: the concept of preventing masturbation.
The story takes us back to the era of Dr John Harvey Kellogg, a highly respected physician and co-founder of the Kellogg cereal company. Dr Kellogg was widely recognized for his influential contributions to the realm of health and wellness.
As a devoted Seventh-day Adventist, he ardently advocated for a wholesome lifestyle encompassing a vegetarian diet, regular exercise, and abstention from alcohol and tobacco. Dr Kellogg firmly believed that specific dietary choices could effectively suppress sexual desires and behaviors.
In his perception, masturbation was regarded as a harmful and sinful act, often associated with adverse physical and mental health consequences. In his pursuit to deter these impulses, he promoted a bland, vegetarian diet, which he hypothesized would reduce libido and discourage masturbation. This hypothesis laid the foundation for the creation of cornflakes.
Among the foods endorsed by Dr Kellogg as part of his anti-masturbation regimen were plain and unsweetened cornflakes. He asserted that consuming simple, non-stimulating foods like cornflakes would aid in diminishing sexual thoughts and desires. Due to its mild and unexciting nature, cornflakes were deemed an ideal dietary addition, believed to have a dampening effect on sexual arousal.
While Dr Kellogg's health and wellness practices gained considerable popularity during his time, his views on masturbation and dietary control were not without controversy. Many criticized his approach, considering it overly simplistic and lacking a scientific foundation. Modern medical understanding recognizes that human sexuality is a multifaceted aspect influenced by a wide array of biological, psychological, and social factors. Consequently, the notion of a direct association between diet and sexual behaviour has been thoroughly debunked by contemporary science. Nevertheless, it remains a curious historical footnote that the invention of cornflakes was driven, in part, by these beliefs.