29 November 2023 , 11:55
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Pepsi is one of the most recognisable brand names in the world - but it turns out many people are only just discovering what the moniker actually means.
First invented by pharmacist Caleb Bradham in 1893 as Brad's Drink, it was first sold in a drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina in the US. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1989, and shortened to just Pepsi in 1961. The cola flavoured drink is now the second most valuable soft drink brand in the world, behind rival company Coca-Cola.
Despite its popularity, it turns out not many people know why it was renamed Pepsi, and are staggered to find out. You might have been offered to drink Pepsi when you've got a stomach ache - and there's a reason for it.
Pepsi got its name from the word 'dyspepsia', also known as indigestion, which is the feeling of stomach pain, over-fullness and bloating, often experienced after eating. It also comes from the digestive enzyme pepsin, which helps digest the proteins you consume.
Early marketing for the drink, in 1903, claimed it had abilities to calm indigestion and stomach ages, with the tag line "Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion." In 1961 Bradham dropped the word Cola from the name, which referred to the drink's kola-nut flavouring.
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However, the sweet-tasting drink has never actually used pepsin as an ingredient, however, Bradham believed his drink could aid digestion "similar to the way the pepsin enzyme does," as it contained a mix of kola nuts, sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, nut meg and other additives.
Online, people have been shocked to learn the news, having gone their "whole lives" without knowing. One social media user shared: "I was today years old when I learned that," while another added: "I had no idea."
Pepsi's recipe has changed multiple times since its inception, and is today made with carbonated water, high fructose corn sytpic, caramel colour, sugar, citric acid, and other natural flavours. Today, PepsiCo is a multinational food and beverage company, which takes in millions of dollars annually thanks to drinks including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Tropicana and Gatorade.