You've probably heard that eating turkey makes you sleepy. Or maybe by now you've heard that it's just a myth! Science says that you can indeed get sleepy after eating your Thanksgiving meal, but the turkey is not to blame.
Does Turkey Make You Sleepy?
Turkey contains the amino acid
L-tryptophan. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. After we've digested our turkey,
L-tryptophan travels to our brain and is transformed into another
chemical called serotonin. Our bodies serotonin use to calm us down
and help us sleep. Scientists understand that L-tryptophan can only
make a person tired right away if there are no other amino acids
present in the meal. There are actually a lot of other amino acids in the turkey,
besides the L-tryptophan, so turkey cannot be the culprit.
So why do we feel sleepy after
Thanksgiving? There are other reasons why eating a large meal might
make you sleepy. When you eat a lot of food, blood moves to the
stomach to aid with digestion and away from other areas. With your
blood headed towards the stomach there is not as much oxygenating
your brain. It's what I like to refer to as the "food coma".
Some additional info on the drowsiness you may feel after the big meal:
You can also read this article from the Connecticut Science Center, Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?
Thanksgiving Science Activities
Looking for a turkey science activity? Do you know how those pop-up thermometers work? Try this and find out: Exploring Melting Point: Turkey Timer STEM.
Or my favorite, easy science activity for the crazy days before Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving Dinner Trophic Pyramid.
More food science for Thanksgiving:
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