No, the Tryptophan in Turkey Wont Make You Sleepy

By DANIEL VICTORNOV. 25, 2015

A common myth during the Thanksgiving holiday is that the turkey you
eat, which is loaded with tryptophan, makes you drowsy. Credit Andrew

As the common myth goes, youre ready for bed soon after Thanksgiving
dinner because the turkey you eat is loaded with tryptophan, which makes
you drowsy and drags you into slumber.

Its a line often repeated, but its not true.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor for the brain chemical
serotonin, which is associated with healthy sleep. But there is no more
tryptophan in turkey than in other common meats like chicken and beef.
Other foods, including nuts and cheeses, contain more.

While tryptophan could make you drowsy on its own, its effects are
limited in the presence of other amino acids, of which turkey has many.

You might be extra tired after your meal, but dont blame the turkey; it
could just be that you overate. With potatoes, stuffing, yams, rolls and
pie on top of that turkey, youre inhaling a lot of carbs.

Dont believe us? Thats a shame, but Snopes is among those that have
also squashed the rumor. Or there are NPR, LiveScience, Wired and Texas
A&M University.

Nicolaas Deutz, a nutrition expert at Texas A&M, has studied the actual
effects of tryptophan and confirmed that the turkey has little to do
with your post-pie coma.

€œTurkey is not special in relation to the other meats,€� he said. €œYou
just eat a lot of meat, but if you would eat a steak you would feel as
satisfied as with the turkey.€�

On Wed, 25 Nov 2015 21:45:47 -0500, Travis McGee >
wrote:

>No, the Tryptophan in Turkey Won’t Make You Sleepy
>
>By DANIEL VICTORNOV. 25, 2015
>
>A common myth during the Thanksgiving holiday is that the turkey you
>eat, which is loaded with tryptophan, makes you drowsy. Credit Andrew
>
>As the common myth goes, you’re ready for bed soon after Thanksgiving
>dinner because the turkey you eat is loaded with tryptophan, which makes
>you drowsy and drags you into slumber.
>
>It’s a line often repeated, but it’s not true.
>
>Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor for the brain chemical
>serotonin, which is associated with healthy sleep. But there is no more
>tryptophan in turkey than in other common meats like chicken and beef.
>Other foods, including nuts and cheeses, contain more.
>
>While tryptophan could make you drowsy on its own, its effects are
>limited in the presence of other amino acids, of which turkey has many.
>
>You might be extra tired after your meal, but don’t blame the turkey; it
>could just be that you overate. With potatoes, stuffing, yams, rolls and
>pie on top of that turkey, you’re inhaling a lot of carbs.
>
>Don’t believe us? That’s a shame, but Snopes is among those that have
>also squashed the rumor. Or there are NPR, LiveScience, Wired and Texas
>A&M University.
>
>Nicolaas Deutz, a nutrition expert at Texas A&M, has studied the actual
>effects of tryptophan and confirmed that the turkey has little to do
>with your post-pie coma.
>
>“Turkey is not special in relation to the other meats,” he said. “You
>just eat a lot of meat, but if you would eat a steak you would feel as
>satisfied as with the turkey.”

What on earth are you two nattering about now? This is the perfect
example of why groups should be moderated.

--
Barbara J Llorente 71 Cerritos Ave San Francisco, CA 94127.

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 8:45:54 PM UTC-6, Travis McGee wrote:
....
>
> "Turkey is not special in relation to the other meats," he said. "You
> just eat a lot of meat, but if you would eat a steak you would feel as
> satisfied as with the turkey."

Yep, a good old fashioned case of a parasympathetic nervous system response called "rest and digest"! Analogous to but opposite of the "fight or flight" sympathetic nervous system response!

John Kuthe...

Travis McGee wrote:

> No, the Tryptophan in Turkey Won't Make You Sleepy

> Don't believe us? That's a shame, but Snopes is among those that have
> also squashed the rumor. Or there are NPR, LiveScience, Wired and
> Texas A&M University.

This was on Myth Busters on TV last night - same conclusion.

-S-