Many of us feeling sleepy after eating turkey and all confirmations on our Thanksgiving dinner table, but why?
While we often blame our sleepiness after eating tryptophan in TurkeyExperts say this is not the full picture.
What is tryptophan?
Tryptophan is one of 20 essential, naturally occurring amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, according to the nonprofit Center For Food As Medicine.
When tryptophan reaches the brain, it is converted into the neurotransmitter serotonin and the hormone melatonin, both of which induce sleep, according to the organization.
Does turkey really make you sleepy?
Research shows that consuming tryptophan can help people fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality, according to the Sleep Foundation — but it’s not likely that anyone will need an immediate nap.
“Turkey is said to make us sleepy because it has a higher concentration of the amino acid tryptophan compared to some other meats,” dietitian Melanie Betz, founder and CEO of The Kidney Dietitian in Chicago, told CBS News. “In reality, brain chemistry is much more complicated than that. Turkey has many different amino acids, all of which are converted into different hormones and complement each other in all those pathways.”
Turkey isn’t the only food with tryptophan either. It’s found in poultry, meat, cheese, fish, eggs and seeds – some of which contain even more of the amino acid than the Thanksgiving staple it’s so often associated with.
“There are many foods, such as pumpkin seeds, ground pork, cheddar, Swiss cheese, provolone and mozzarella, and yellowfin tuna that contain more tryptophan per 100 grams than turkey,” according to the Center For Food As Medicine.
What else can contribute to Thanksgiving fatigue?
Betz says several aspects of a Thanksgiving feast can contribute to the “food coma”-like fatigue that many experience.
“The sleepy feeling you feel after a turkey dinner is much more likely related to eating a big, delicious meal — and maybe an extra glass of wine — than a surge of melatonin related to turkey,” she said, explaining that if you eat, “The blood rushes to your intestines to absorb all those wonderful nutrients from the food, away from your brain, which can make you feel tired.”
And alcohol has a sedative or “downer” effect, she added, which can contribute to drowsiness during the holidays.
