12/16/2023 0 Comments Does turkey make you sleepy![]() ![]() "If we feel sleepy after a big meal, it is likely due to not getting enough sleep in the days leading up to the big event and finally being able to relax after the dinner is over. "Turkey doesn't really make us sleepy," Knutson said. So you can't blame the gobbler on your table alone for your sudden sleepiness, said sleep specialist Kristen Knutson, an associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "Tryptophan from turkey is unlikely to enter the brain and make enough serotonin to make us sleepy," Malin said. Because the foods highest in tryptophan also contain many other amino acids, it is not likely that turkey is to blame for tiredness on Thanksgiving. ![]() The US Department of Agriculture recommends planning for one pound of turkey meat per person when preparing a holiday meal. To get the amount of tryptophan required to cause a food coma, he said, we'd have to eat about 8 pounds of turkey meat - about half of a typical bird meant to serve a crowd. However, we don't consume nearly enough turkey during a holiday smorgasbord - even if we go back for seconds - to create the amount of serotonin needed to make us sleepy, said Steven Malin, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and health at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Serotonin is one of the "feel-good" hormones, which can calm and relax the body. However, many foods besides turkey contain tryptophan, including cheese, chicken, egg whites, fish, milk, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soy beans and sunflower seeds, according to the National Library of Medicine. "Our bodies do not naturally produce tryptophan, so we have to get it through the foods we eat." "The byproduct of the tryptophan-to-serotonin process is melatonin, another hormone that regulates our sleep cycle," he said. The theory goes that turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, which is a key ingredient of serotonin and melatonin the tryptophan in the turkey boosts serotonin to make you happy, and. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. "Tryptophan is an essential amino acid needed to make serotonin, a hormone that has many functions in our body, including balancing mood and sleep," said sleep specialist Dr. A mainstay on the dinner table at this time of year, turkey contains tryptophan, which is widely believed to be responsible for the uncontrollable yawns and sudden snoozes common after huge family feasts, CNN reported. If you're looking forward to a post-Thanksgiving meal nap later, it might not be the turkey that's making you sleepy.
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