The Kelloggs

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John Harvey Kellogg was a renowned physician, author, and health advocate, while his brother Will founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, transforming breakfast food production. In this narrative, Howard Markel explores the rivalry and complex relationship between the Kellogg brothers, whose influence spanned from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, reshaping American health and wellness. The Kelloggs hailed from a Puritan lineage, migrating to New England in the seventeenth century before moving to Michigan to establish a significant farm. They later embraced the religious teachings of Ellen Harmon White and James White, whose Seventh-day Adventist theology emphasized health reform. Groomed by the Whites, John Kellogg attended Bellevue Hospital Medical College, focusing on indigestion, America's prevalent health issue. The Battle Creek Sanitarium, run by Kellogg, attracted numerous notable figures, including Mary Todd Lincoln and Amelia Earhart, while he advised several U.S. presidents. The brothers innovated in food production, creating Corn Flakes through experimentation with grains and toasting methods. Markel's account of the Kelloggs highlights their pivotal roles in the evolution of American diet, health, and philanthropy, reflecting significant societal changes over seven decades that impacted millions and contributed to the industrial age.