Pepsin

[cainxinth]

A friend of mine have a bet going… He says the word Pepto in Pepto Bismol derives from peptic acid. I say its from pepsin, which was the name for a flavor used in sweets that’s now out of fashion. Pepto’s site says the product was named so because it contain the ingredien pepsin, butwikipedia says pepsin is a digestive enzyme, and says nothing of a flavor. Now I recall that Necco Wafers in particular have a pink wafer that tastes like pepto bismol. Their website claims that flavor is wintergreen, which is also the flavor Pepto Bismol claims their product to be. Then’s there’s Beeman’s Pepsin flavored gun, which I’ve never tried, so I don’t know if it taste’s like Pepto.

So… is pepsin a flavor as well as a digestive enzyme? And if so, is it the same flavor of pepto bismol?

[awldune]

Pepsin is definitely an enzyme, and was used to aid digestion. I don’t know what it tastes like, but its inclusion in chewing gum (and Pepsi cola, supposedly) was for medicinal purposes.

I have always thought that PB tastes like root beer, or more accurately, what root beer-flavored Tums would taste like.

As for your bet, it sounds like you have already won if Pepto’s website says it is named after pepsin.

[awldune]

On the other hand, this website suggests that pepsin’s flavor was a factor for gum too.

Miss Horton suggested he add some pepsin to it. “You say it has a nice flavor. That way you could unload the pepsin too.” Taking her suggestion, Dr. Beeman combined pepsin with the chicle and thus Beeman’s Pepsin Gum was born.

Also according to that site, Beeman’s pepsin gum stopped being sold in 1978, so I guess you can’t just taste it for yourself.

[arrosen]

@awldune

Also according to that site, Beeman’s pepsin gum stopped being sold in 1978, so I guess you can’t just taste it for yourself.

Or, you could buy some here !!

BTW, Beeman’s, Clove and BlackJack gums were all retired in the 70’s, but have recently been brought back

[MLS]

According to the label of the chewable tablets, the active ingredient in PB is Bismuth subsalicylate. Inactive ingredients are calcium carbonate, flavor, magnesium stearate, mannitol, bovidone, red 27 aluminum lake, saccharin sodium, and talc.

But it once did have pepsin in it.

According to the Pepto Bismol people,

The medicine we now call Pepto-Bismol was originally developed at the start of the 20th century, when high standards of hygiene and sanitation weren’t as widespread as today. Looking to cure a frightening disease called “cholera infantum,” which struck infants suddenly, causing severe diarrhea and vomiting and sometimes death, a doctor concocted a formula in his home that proved effective against these symptoms. The formula was made from pepsin, bismuth salicylate, zinc salts, salol, and oil of wintergreen, along with a colorant to make it pink, and he called it Mixture Cholera Infantum. (Researchers would later learn that cholera infantum was caused by a bacterial infection, treatable with antibiotics.)

[Peanuthead]

@arrosen

Or, you could buy some here !!

BTW, Beeman’s, Clove and BlackJack gums were all retired in the 70’s, but have recently been brought back

I remember these gums well from my youth but I’m not sure Beeman’s is still the same. I bought a few packs of Beeman’s specifically to aid digestion and it didn’t seem to have the soothing affect that it once did. Does Beeman’s still contain pepsin?

BTW - is there any other over the counter product that contains pepsin. It really works wonders for heartburn.