Myth or Truth – Talking Turkey: Does the holiday bird really make you sleepy? The thought of a large Thanksgiving dinner often produces jokes about the sleepiness that will follow. Turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid precursor to the mellowing chemicals serotonin and melatonin. However, turkey, pork, chicken and beef all have about the same amount of tryptophan per gram. Post-Thanksgiving sleepiness is more likely from the body trying to digest the sheer quantity of food ingested than from the turkey. Blood is diverted from the brain and muscles to the stomach to help break down the meal, and fat takes six to eight hours to digest, accounting for why you’re drowsy long after you’ve eaten, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 01:00:00 +0000
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