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.
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".
Kids can read more about this phenomena
in this article at Kidshealth.org.
Looking for a turkey science activity?
Try this: Exploring Melting Point: Turkey Timer STEM.
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