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FoodSurprise 4/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 18, 2026

In the 1830s, ketchup was sold in the United States as a medicine to treat diarrhoea.

Why it is true

American doctor John Cook Bennett argued that tomatoes cured various digestive ailments and published recipes for ketchup in pill form. The idea became popular until the sale of the product was banned for false claims.

Source: Smithsonian

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