1. Coca-Cola
Back in the late 19th century, Coca-Cola wasn’t just a refreshing drink—it was marketed as a medicinal tonic. Created by John Pemberton in 1886, it was advertised as a cure for headaches, fatigue, and even morphine addiction. Its name comes from two original ingredients, coca leaves and kola nuts, both believed to have stimulating effects. At the time, patent medicines were all the rage, so the idea of sipping on a sweet bubbly “medicine” wasn’t strange.
Many people flocked to pharmacies just to buy a glass of this new elixir. Over time, Coca-Cola dropped the medicinal claims and became the soda giant we know today. But it’s wild to think that something we now associate with fast food combos and vending machines was once seen as a serious health treatment. It’s a reminder of how much health marketing can evolve—and how it can be a little misleading, too.
2. 7Up
When 7Up was first introduced in the 1920s, it had a very different pitch: it was advertised as a mood booster. That’s because its original formula contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug. Lithium was believed to help with depression and other mental health issues, so the soda was positioned as more than just a fizzy lemon-lime refreshment.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that lithium was quietly removed from the drink. Still, for decades, people were essentially sipping on a soda marketed as both tasty and therapeutic. While we now see 7Up as a mixer for cocktails or a go-to when you’re sick with the flu, its original medicinal angle feels almost shocking. Imagine popping open a can of soda today and calling it your mood stabilizer.
3. Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper has long leaned into its quirky, mysterious branding, but early on it also wore a medicinal mask. Created in the 1880s in Texas, it was marketed as a “brain tonic” and energy booster. The drink’s unique blend of 23 flavors was touted as something that could give people a pick-me-up when feeling sluggish.
By the early 20th century, advertisements even suggested that drinking Dr Pepper could help with digestion and overall vitality. Many pharmacies carried it right alongside other medicinal tonics. While today it’s a beloved soda with a cult following, its history as a supposed health drink shows just how much marketing could blur the line between medicine and sugar water.
4. Root Beer
Root beer, one of America’s earliest soft drinks, started off with a reputation for being medicinal. Its main ingredient, sassafras, was believed to have healing properties and was often brewed in teas and tonics by Native Americans and later settlers. Early manufacturers leaned into this idea, promoting root beer as something that could cure ailments like colds and digestive troubles.
By the late 1800s, companies like Hires Root Beer were selling it as a “temperance drink” that was both healthy and refreshing. Ads claimed it could purify the blood and promote good health, making it a family-friendly alternative to alcohol. Eventually, science caught up and discovered that safrole, a compound in sassafras, was toxic in large amounts, so formulas had to change. But the myth of root beer as a medicinal cure stuck around for decades.
5. Ovaltine
Ovaltine, the malted milk powder still found in grocery stores, was once heavily promoted as a nutritional supplement. In the early 1900s, it was advertised as a restorative drink for children, the elderly, and anyone needing more energy. Its mix of malt extract, milk, and eggs gave it an aura of being a complete food in powdered form.
Mothers were encouraged to stir it into milk for their kids to promote strength and vitality. During World War II, it was even handed out as a fortifying ration to soldiers. While today it’s more of a cozy bedtime drink or a nostalgic pantry staple, its beginnings as a medicinal pick-me-up helped cement its place in households across the globe.
6. Graham Crackers
Most people think of graham crackers as a base for s’mores or a kid-friendly snack, but they were originally created as health food. In the 1830s, Reverend Sylvester Graham promoted them as part of a bland diet meant to curb sinful urges and improve digestion. He believed that cutting out rich, spicy foods—and replacing them with plain whole grain crackers—would lead to better physical and moral health.
The crackers became popular among health reformers and were even marketed as a cure for stomach troubles. While modern graham crackers are sweetened and enjoyed with chocolate and marshmallows, their origins as a medicinal product aimed at improving both body and soul are fascinating. It’s safe to say Graham probably wouldn’t approve of how they’re eaten today.
7. Corn Flakes
Corn Flakes, invented by John Harvey Kellogg in the late 19th century, also started with a moral and medical mission. Kellogg, a health reformer, believed in a plain diet as a way to improve digestion and reduce impure thoughts. He and his brother created Corn Flakes as a bland, wholesome food that was marketed as aiding digestion and supporting overall health.
The cereal quickly became popular not only as a breakfast food but also as part of the wellness craze sweeping through America at the time. Ads suggested it was a healthier choice compared to heavier meals. Nowadays, we associate Corn Flakes with a simple breakfast cereal, but its early role as a quasi-medicine shows how diet reform was tied to health marketing.
8. Grape-Nuts
Grape-Nuts cereal, created in 1897, was promoted as a miracle food with nearly limitless health benefits. Despite having no grapes or nuts, its crunchy texture and high fiber content were marketed as ideal for digestion. Early ads claimed it could cure appendicitis, prevent malaria, and even help with mental clarity.
The cereal was also famously given to explorers and soldiers as a survival ration, reinforcing its “superfood” image. It was marketed not just as breakfast, but as a treatment for almost any ailment you could imagine. While modern nutritionists might roll their eyes at those claims, the cereal’s reputation as a health food helped it stick around for over a century.
9. Chocolate
Believe it or not, chocolate was once considered medicinal. Dating back to the 16th century when it was brought to Europe from the Americas, chocolate was prescribed as a treatment for everything from fevers to fatigue. Doctors recommended it for boosting mood, aiding digestion, and even improving fertility.
By the 19th century, chocolate was often sold in pharmacies as a medicinal food. Ads claimed it was both nourishing and energizing, making it a perfect remedy for the weak or sick. Today, we eat chocolate for pleasure rather than health, though modern science does point to some benefits from dark chocolate. Still, the idea of reaching for a chocolate bar as medicine feels almost too good to be true.
10. Coffee
Coffee may be the morning fuel of choice today, but it was once hailed as medicine. In Europe during the 1600s, coffeehouses weren’t just social hubs—they were seen as places to improve your health. Physicians touted coffee as a cure for headaches, digestive problems, and even melancholy.
By the 18th century, coffee was promoted as a way to sharpen the mind and prevent illness. Some even claimed it could help you live longer. While coffee certainly provides a caffeine boost, most of those grander health claims don’t hold up. Still, the ritual of drinking it for “wellness” has clearly carried through the centuries.
11. Beer
Beer might not sound like medicine, but in the Middle Ages it was considered a health staple. Clean drinking water was hard to come by, so beer was a safer alternative. Doctors often prescribed it for digestive troubles, insomnia, and even as a tonic for nursing mothers.
Monasteries brewed beer as part of their medical practices, and it was seen as a nourishing beverage full of vitamins and minerals from the grains. While modern marketing leans heavily on beer as a social drink, its past life as a medicinal cure shows how necessity and perception shaped what people considered healthy.
12. Wine
Wine has a long history as a medicinal beverage. Ancient Egyptians used it in healing rituals, and by the Middle Ages, it was prescribed for everything from digestive problems to wound cleaning. Doctors often recommended daily wine consumption for good health.
Even into the 19th century, wine was sold in pharmacies as a tonic. Brands like Vin Mariani, which mixed wine with coca leaves, were touted as giving energy and vitality. While today red wine occasionally gets credit for heart health, the medicinal claims of the past were much more sweeping. It’s one more example of how alcohol blurred the line between medicine and pleasure.
13. Coca Wine
Before Coca-Cola, there was coca wine. Popular in the 19th century, this drink combined wine with coca leaves, making it both stimulating and intoxicating. Advertisements claimed it could cure everything from exhaustion to anxiety, and it quickly became a hit among the upper classes.
Vin Mariani was the most famous brand, endorsed by celebrities and even Pope Leo XIII. It was praised as a remedy for mental and physical fatigue. Eventually, concerns about cocaine’s effects led to bans and reformulations. But for a time, coca wine was seen as both fashionable and medicinal.
14. Whiskey
Whiskey has a long-standing reputation as a “cure-all,” especially in American folk medicine. During the 19th century, it was recommended for treating colds, toothaches, and even tuberculosis. Many households kept a bottle not just for drinking, but for first aid.
Doctors often prescribed whiskey mixed with honey or herbs as a soothing remedy. During Prohibition, it was still legally sold as “medicine” with a doctor’s prescription. While today we know alcohol isn’t a cure, whiskey’s history as a household remedy adds to its legendary status.
15. Cocaine Lozenges
In the late 1800s, cocaine wasn’t just legal—it was sold as medicine in forms like lozenges and drops. These were marketed as treatments for sore throats, toothaches, and even shyness. Cocaine was believed to numb pain and boost confidence, so it was widely prescribed.
Pharmacies stocked them right alongside cough syrups and other everyday remedies. While the dangers of cocaine are obvious now, at the time it was considered cutting-edge medicine. Cocaine lozenges are a startling reminder of how much medical knowledge has advanced.
16. Tobacco
It might be shocking now, but tobacco was once marketed as a health product. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was praised as a cure for headaches, colds, and even bad breath. Doctors recommended smoking or chewing tobacco to ward off disease.
By the early 20th century, cigarette ads even featured doctors claiming smoking was good for digestion and relaxation. It wasn’t until decades of research proved the dangers that the messaging changed. Tobacco’s journey from medicine to public health hazard is one of the starkest reversals in history.