Sex and corn flakes

"About 150 years ago — before Americans expressed interest in health foods like tofu and yogurt — Sylvester Graham (1794-1851) lead America in its first health food crusade. Graham believed that a healthier diet lead to a healthier life. However, his reasoning about health was different from our current view. He believed that ill health was due to sexual excesses — erotic dreams, masturbation or sexual intercourse more than once a month. He believed that these sexual excesses were inflamed by eating unhealthy foods. (...)

In 1876, John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943) became director of the institute, and it became popularly known as the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Kellogg became widely known not only as a nutritionist but also as a sexual advisor. He not only advocated health foods, but he was the leading publicist about the dangers of masturbation. (...)

Kellogg continued experiments with different cereals. In 1898, he introduced another health food known as "Corn Flakes." Corn Flakes — like Graham Crackers and Granola — were designed to avoid inflaming the sexual appetite. At that time, they were not sweetened with sugar. Kellogg believed that sugar was unhealthy and associated with vice and degeneracy. (...)

Kellogg’s brother, Will, did not have similar beliefs related to sexual excesses. He broke away and formed a company that eventually became known as the Kellogg Company. Will Kellogg added sugar to Corn Flakes. This marked its end as a health food. Today, the company makes no claim that Corn Flakes will reduce sexual excesses."

In Graham Crackers, Corn Flakes and Sex.