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In the 1830s, tomato ketchup was sold as a medicine, claiming to cure ailments like diarrhea, indigestion, and jaundice. The addition of tomatoes meant it added a a plethora of vitamins and antioxidants to the sauce.
The idea was proposed by Dr John Cook Bennett, who later sold the recipe in form of ‘tomato pills’. As numerous people began to sell ketchup as a medicine, the market reportedly collapsed in the 1850s.