Post- Thanksgiving meal exhaustion on the turkey?
What causes that sleepy feeling after you gobble down a Thanksgiving meal?
Turkey meat contains a lot of an amino acid called L-tryptophan.
Amino acids are the “building blocks” for the proteins. L-tryptophan is just one kind of amino acid — there are many different kinds of amino acids in the foods we eat.
Tryptophan is used by the body to make niacin, a B vitamin that is important for digestion, skin and nerves and serotonin.
When we eat foods that contain L-tryptophan, this amino acid travels in the blood from the digestive system and later enters the brain. The brain then changes the L-tryptophan into another chemical called serotonin.
Serotonin is a brain biochemical that plays a large role in mood and can help to create a feeling of relaxation.
But scientists now know that L-tryptophan can really only make a person tired right away if it is eaten or taken by itself without any amino acids. And the protein in turkey contains plenty of other amino acids!
Eating a big Thanksgiving dinner causes increased blood flow to the stomach (needed to help digest the meal) and less blood flow to the brain.
So want to avoid drowsiness?
-Have small portions of foods that are part of your Thanksgiving meal
-Drink water and take breaks while you are eating
-Stop eating once you’re full — there will always be leftovers tomorrow!
Take a walk outside afterward to digest your meal.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving — gobble, gobble!
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