Or is it all a myth?
By: Heidi Wagenbach
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we’re all going to have to start preparing (to make and eat) the massive meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cornbread, green bean casserole– mm, just thinking about that food makes me hungry! But I’ve heard for too many years, ever since I was a kid, that turkey makes you sleepy. Well, I’m here to debunk this mystery with you: does turkey really contain some magic substance that makes you drowsy or are there other factors that contribute to that tired, after-meal sensation?
The Real Cause
According to the article Thanksgiving Myth Busted: Eating Turkey Won’t Make You Sleepy from LiveScience, “consuming large amounts of carbohydrates and alcohol may be the real cause of a post-Thanksgiving-meal snooze.” Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which contributes to serotonin which then converts to melatonin (a sleep-inducing chemical), however the amount is very low compared to other foods (surprisingly, cheddar cheese has more). Consuming a hefty amount of the other foods besides turkey, like the mentioned above mashed potatoes, stuffing, cornbread is the true issue, seeing that tryptophan has to challenge these other competitors in order to enter the brain. These rich foods release insulin and that removes amino acids, therefore making tryptophan difficult to enter the brain (even though it eventually does). In the end, any large meal that contains a lot of carbs contributes to being tired, combined with alcohol and an overall relaxation that’s felt on holidays can contribute to the lax mood.
Tips and Tricks
John Hopkins Hospital has another argument: blood flow. Consuming a large meal that our bodies are not accustomed to increases the blood flow from our brain to our stomach in order to help digest the dinner. There are some tips suggested on their website to help avoid drowsiness:
- Eat small, healthy snacks throughout the day (don’t starve yourself beforehand) and continue to have small portions at the large dinner
- Drink water while you eat and let the food settle to see how full you are
- Stop eating when you feel full and don’t go overboard (aka don’t eat the whole pumpkin pie for dessert)
- Take a walk instead of plopping on the couch
Overall turkey is not one of the main contributors to you feeling sleepy once you’re done consuming rich food for the day. There are ways to avoid feeling lethargic by taking the right precautions such as eating smaller portions and staying active as opposed to sticking to the usual sedentary activities. So when a family member says (at your socially-distanced 2020 Thanksgiving): “Gosh-darn all that turkey– I feel like I could just take a nap now!”, tell them about tryptophan and your newly acquired knowledge from today’s blog! (I assure you if that doesn’t snap them awake, I don’t know what will [hint of sarcasm]).