Geritol is the name of an American vitamin and mineral supplement.

The name is derived from the root "geri-", meaning old (as in "geriatrics") with the "i" for iron. The product has been promoted from almost the beginning of the mass media era as a cure for "iron-poor tired blood". In the early 20th century, many medical doctors and other health professionals felt that much of the tiredness often associated with old age was due to iron deficiency anemia. This theory was later discredited, but Geritol was already well known and continued to be marketed, in both original liquid form and in tablets.

In the early days of television the marketing of Geritol was somewhat tied into the quiz show scandal, since Geritol sponsored the show proven to be the most thoroughly corrupted, Twenty-One. After that, for many years Geritol was largely marketed on television programs that appealed primarily to older viewers, such as The Lawrence Welk Show and Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour.

The product is now owned by the multinational pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.

External link

• [1] - GSK's official Geritol® information site for U.S. residents