Thanksgiving myth...

Do you feel tired and worn out after Thanksgiving and not just because you were up at 5 a.m. cooking?  I know I always feel that way.  Usually, it ends with a nap on the couch!  I'm sure you've heard that the turkey makes you sleep because of a natural chemical in the bird.  Well that's only partially true.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid crucial for good health.  We need this chemical to build certain kinds of proteins.  What's the sleep connection you ask?  Well, the body uses typtophan in a multi-step process to make serotonin which is a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps regulate sleep.  Turkey does have the chemical, but so does all meat.  The real culprits are all those carbs you'll eat today.  The massive intake of carb-heavy calories stimulates the release of insulin, which in turn triggers the uptake of most amino acids from the blood into the muscles except tryptophan.

With other amino acids swept out of the bloodstream, tryptophan - from turkey, ham or any cheese for that matter - can better makes its way to the brain to produce serotonin.

Tryptophan can trigger the production of serotonin and sweet dreams if taken alone or on an empty stomach.  In fact, tryptophan supplements were a popular sleep aid in the 1980s.  Then the FDA banned their sale in 1991 after a massive outbreak of an autoimmune disease. 

Like a good dinner, this 16-year-old argument might be stimulating or just put you to sleep.

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

What?  Huh?  Oh sorry...I must have dozed off there for a minute.

Have a great Thanksgiving!


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist