The Internet Chump Who Became a Champ
An online con goes wonderfully, implausibly right.
Tums
antacid When St. Louis pharmacist James Howe devised a mint-flavored calcium carbonate pill to quiet a patient’s indigestion in the 1920s, he had an extra incentive—the patient was his wife.
Cheerios
healthy cereal Most nutritionists say that when it comes to two key factors—more fiber, less sugar—the healthiest of all 18 Cheerios varieties is the original one.
Culturelle
probiotic There are dozens of strains of probiotics—aka “good” bacteria. LGG, the one in Culturelle, is among the few that can survive stomach acid and make its healthpromoting way into the intestines.
Crest
toothpaste Little-known fact: Crest will polish up the keys on your piano, too, whether they are made from ivory or plastic.
Planters
nuts Your heart loves nuts as much as you do! More than 80 percent of the fat in peanuts is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, both of which can lower cholesterol and keep your blood vessels supple.
Ensure
nutritional drink We lose up to 8 percent of our muscle mass each decade after age 40. Last year, Ensure introduced its Max Protein shake, with 30 grams of protein, for people 45 and older.
Onetouch
blood-glucose monitor In 1850, diabetics tested their blood sugar by adding a drop of urine to sheep’s wool that had been doused with a chemical that turned black in the presence of sugar. Onetouch meters use a drop of blood and return the precise glucose level within five seconds.
Purina
healthy pet food Purina has always been known for its healthy pet food—it’s what Admiral Richard E. Byrd fed his sled dogs on his 1933 Antarctic expedition. Today, Beneful, Purina’s preservative-free line of food, comes in flavors such as beef, potato, and green bean.
Aleve
joint-pain relief Aleve was the first over-the-counter medication to provide 12-hour pain relief in a single dose. It is also available in a contoured bottle with a cushioned cap for easier gripping.
Centrum
multivitamin Have difficulty swallowing pills but feel silly chewing a gummy? In 2015, Centrum introduced a multivitamin in a mint form, called Vitamints. They contain 18 vitamins and micronutrients.