Ok so now everyone is finding out why cornflakes were invented and I am shook

The internet finds out some very strange facts – ones that you probably could have happily lived your life without knowing. For example, TikTok once had everyone going mad over where vanilla flavouring actually comes from, then people starting frantically looking up why chainsaws were invented and that is information you truly can’t unsee. Now, everyone is down the rabbit hole of finding out why things were invented and we just can’t stop. The latest thing we’ve all discovered? Why cornflakes were invented.

You’re probably reading this and thinking there’s a logical explanation behind this one. Surely cornflakes were simply invented so people could have a high-fibre, healthy and balanced breakfast to get them going in the morning? Sort of, but also really not the case. Buckle up, your mind is about to blown all over again.

So, why were cornflakes invented?

You might be surprised to know (and if you’re not, are you ok?) that cornflakes were actually invented to stop people from masturbating. Yes, really. Tweets have been going viral for a long time claiming this and it’s true, reports say that is the real reason why the cereal first came about.

Cornflakes were introduced in 1894 by John Harvey Kellogg and apparently the company was marketing the breakfast food as a “healthy, ready-to-eat anti-masturbatory morning meal”.

Mr Kellogg is said to have believed that sex was unhealthy and immoral, and he thought that rich and tasty foods increased sexual desire, hence cornflakes literally tasting of nothing. Kellogg himself followed a strict vegetarian diet and didn’t drink alcohol or consume caffeine. He also never consummated his marriage.

Cornflakes are said to have been specifically invented to stop women from masturbating. Apparently Mr Kellogg believed that sugar made women particularly excited and horny, so he developed a cereal with virtually no sugar to stop this from happening. He purposely made the cereal brand bland so that women would “calm down”. But, it was also aimed at men just as much, of course.

This is… wild?!

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