Myth – Warning: Eating Turkey May Cause Drowsiness

For years the turkey at the center of your Thanksgiving feast has been blamed for causing drowsiness. Turkey does in fact contain an amino acid called tryptophan which has been documented to cause sleepiness. Tryptophan is used in several ways by the body. It is one of these uses that gives turkey it’s bad rep. The body can metabolize tryptophan to produce the neurotransmitters, serotonin and melatonin, that have a calming effect. However, in order to make you drowsy, tryptophan needs to be taken without any other amino acids or protein. Turkey, along with your other Thanksgiving dishes, provides plenty of protein.

The amount of tryptophan found in turkey is considerably less than the amount in Swiss cheese and pork. In fact, chicken and ground beef each contain about the same amount per ounce as the celebrated Thanksgiving Day bird. In the end it is actually the effects of eating such a large meal that causes drowsiness. After consuming that much food, your blood flow is slowed, and that in turn decreases the amount of oxygen reaching your brain. So as you will see it is more accurately the effect of a large amount of food on your body that causes drowsiness.

Lesson: Don’t stuff yourself over the holiday!