tryptophan

What Makes You Tired at Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving

What's Really Making You Tired at the Thanksgiving Dinner Table?

While you may have heard that tryptophan, an amino acid popularly found in turkey, will make you tired after eating your annual Thanksgiving meal, the truth is that it's found in plenty of common foods and is likely not the cause of your lethargic behavior.
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While you may have heard that tryptophan, an amino acid popularly found in turkey, will make you tired after eating your annual Thanksgiving meal, the truth is that it's found in plenty of common foods and is likely not the cause of your lethargic behavior. In fact, the amount of tryptophan found in turkey is about the same as other poultry, and nearly the same amount as pork. Tryptophan is also found in fish, eggs, even rice. So, before you crash on the couch and blame the tryptophan, here are a few suggestions of what's really making you sleepy after your meal.

  • Wine Not to overstate the obvious, but holidays generally call for celebration, and celebration often calls for wine. The alcohol alone would make you sleepy; pair it with a whole lot of food and you have a recipe for a nap.
  • Sheer volume of food I don't know about you, but my Thanksgiving meal requires at least one trip back to the buffet line . . . if not more. Consuming all of that food means your body is using its energy to digest, not keep you awake. If you must try everything, try eating smaller portions of each thing to help stay awake.
  • Carbohydrates Rolls, potatoes, and stuffing are Thanksgiving faves, but all of the carb-loaded comfort food can leave you feeling lethargic, too.
  • Tiredness If you helped prepare the meal, you probably woke up early and spent most of the day on your feet. Then, after sitting down to a large, comfortable meal, your body relaxes and feels tired. That much action in the kitchen is bound to tire even the most seasoned Thanksgiving cook.
Thanksgiving Turkey: Does It Put You to Sleep?
Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Turkey: Does It Put You to Sleep?

Everyone's heard the age-old adage that turkey contains chemicals that make you sleepy.
by Susannah Chen

Everyone's heard the age-old adage that turkey contains chemicals that make you sleepy. But is that really the explanation for why one feels inclined to fall into a deep slumber after Thanksgiving dinner?

Not really. Turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid that's been known to convert to a sleep-regulating transmitter, serotonin. But tryptophan's also in virtually every other animal product, and few eaters consume enough turkey for any true effect to be realized.

The real culprit at Thanksgiving supper is the glut of carbohydrate-heavy foods like stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, and pie, which trigger insulin production and block energy. This "food coma" — along with what's possibly too many glasses of wine — is really to blame.

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Which Foods Have the Highest Amount of Tryptophan?
sleep

Tired From Tryptophan?

When you hear the word tryptophan, you probably think of turkey and sleepiness.
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When you hear the word tryptophan, you probably think of turkey and sleepiness. What you may not know is that tryptophan is one of the 10 essential amino acids our bodies need in order to synthesize protein. It helps produces messengers that communicate with our nervous system, and yes, it's also related to relaxation, restfulness, and sleep. Turkey isn't the only source of tryptophan, though, so take this quiz to learn about this amino acid and what other foods contain it.

Take the Quiz
Burning Question: Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?
Thanksgiving

Burning Question: Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?

This age-old claim is both fact as well as fiction.
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This age-old claim is both fact as well as fiction. Turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid that often converts to serotonin, a sleep-regulating neurotransmitter. But in order to truly experience the side effects of tryptophan, one would need to eat copious amounts of turkey on an empty stomach.

Tryptophan can be found to some degree in red meat, eggs, fish, poultry — virtually every animal product. And in reality, few people eat solely turkey at a Thanksgiving meal. Most of us also eat massive quantities of sides, such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, and yams. These carbohydrate-heavy foods trigger the pancreas to produce insulin, which blocks energy. Combine this "food-coma" effect with a few too many glasses of wine and football on the couch, and you're in for quite a sleepy night, turkey or no turkey.

Source

Does Turkey Make You Tired?
Thanksgiving

Does Turkey Make You Tired?

I can't get through a Thanksgiving meal without someone mentioning tryptophan.
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I can't get through a Thanksgiving meal without someone mentioning tryptophan. We all know that we'll gorge ourselves on turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie galore. Then plop ourselves on the couch in exhaustion, blaming the turkey's tryptophan for our comatose state. Is turkey really the culprit?

To find out read more

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Night
Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Night

By now, everyone has heard that there's a chemical in turkey meat that makes you want to take a nap.
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By now, everyone has heard that there's a chemical in turkey meat that makes you want to take a nap. Did you know it's also found in oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, yogurt, chick peas, and peanuts? Turkey does contain tryptophan, which has a documented sleep-inducing effect. But tryptophan works best when taken on an empty stomach. When's the last time you skipped all the fixings?
It's actually the nature of the typical Thanksgiving meal that causes your sleepiness. You just plain eat a lot. And the meal is full of heavy, high-carb foods like mashed potatoes, stuffing, bread, and pie. People tend to eat way more than they would normally. Your body is working overtime to digest all that food. Drinking alcohol with your meal adds to your drowsiness.

So if you love the effects, pile on the food. I'll see you in napland.

Fit's tip: If you want to avoid passing out before you even make it to dessert, try eating a little taste of everything. That way you can still indulge in the meal, and feel awake enough to enjoy it.