How did Pepsi get its name? The story behind the soft drink brand
Pepsi is one of the top beverage brands in the world, but when it was first created, it was peddled not just as a refreshment, but as an indigestion remedy.
Pepsi is one of the most popular drinks in the world, second only to Coke. It’s now known as a refreshing soda that’s best imbibed with pizza, but when it was first created, it was advertised as a remedy for indigestion.
The drink was formulated in 1893 by a small-town pharmacist in North Carolina named Caleb Bradham, and he first sold it under the name “Brad’s Drink.” However, he eventually decided to change the name of his sweet cola-flavored beverage.
Bradham acquired the name “Pep Kola” from a competitor and changed it to Pepsi-Cola, hoping to replicate the success that Coca-Cola was achieving at the time. This explains the “Cola” part of its name. But what about “Pepsi”?
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How did Pepsi get its name? The story behind the soft drink brand
The name “Pepsi” is supposedly derived from the word dyspepsia, which means indigestion. Bradham gave his carbonated beverage this name because he believed it was more just a refreshing drink, it was also a digestion aid.
Some reports say that the name “Pepsi” is derived from one of its ingredients, the pepsin enzyme, which helps the digestive process. However, according to the Encyclopedia of Pepsi-Cola Collectibles, Pepsi never contained pepsin. Bradham only believed that his formula helped digestion the way pepsin does. He even marketed it with the slogan, “Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion.”
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Does Pepsi actually aid digestion?
There have been numerous studies on the effects of carbonated beverages on gastrointestinal health. Some of them say there is a positive correlation between the two, while others suggest a negative one. Several indicate there is no correlation at all. What appears certain is that more studies are needed to support any claim that carbonated drinks can be an effective digestive aid.
However, there is no shortage of anecdotal evidence that taking soda helps relieve indigestion (many of us have one time or another been given advice to drink soft drinks when we have a tummy ache).
“Stronger and prettier” thanks to Pepsi
If one is to believe an account from 1905, drinking Pepsi can result in even more than just the relief of an upset stomach.
An article from the University of North Carolina states that the parents of an eight-month-old baby named Emma Woodley claimed in 1905 that the infant obtained a “disposition as sunny as the climes of Italy”, and that the baby girl was “growing stronger and prettier” every day due to a daily Pepsi habit. What a ringing endorsement that would be for the company if someone could attest to the same results in this day and age.