This article is part of a series on Thanksgiving Myths. Click here to see all of the myths.
Ever notice how everyone feels like taking a nap shortly after eating Thanksgiving dinner? The blame is always placed on the turkey, supposedly containing tryptophan which makes you tired. L-tryptophan, as it is actually named, can be metabolised into seratonin and melatonin, neurotransmitters that have a calming effect and can make you tired. However, according to Chemistry.about.com:
L-tryptophan needs to be taken on an empty stomach and without any other amino acids or protein in order to make you drowsy. There's lots of protein in a serving of turkey and it's probably not the only food on the table.
Also, chicken, pork, beef, soybeans, and cheese (among others) contain more tryptophan than turkey and nobody blames them for sleepiness.
The real problem is the combination of carbohydrates and tryptophan. Carbohydrates cause an increase in insulin production which makes the amino acids move from the bloodstream to muscle cells, allowing the tryptophan to work its magic. In addition to the tryptophan, a large meal takes a lot of work to digest and a lot of blood gets redirected to the digestive system. The lack of blood elsewhere causes the body to be more lethargic.
Simon Young, a neurochemist at McGill University in Montreal, tells National Geographic, "There have been many studies citing a post-lunch dip in performance, from factory output to single-car accidents. These things tend to peak in the early afternoon. A thousand-calorie lunch causes a sedative effect that a smaller meal doesn't have."
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