GetndCarVC

People everywhere strongly believe that eating turkey is the cause of sleepiness. This is because there is a specific amino acid present in higher than normal doses called L-tryptophan (pronounced el-trip-teh-fan). Amino acids are a chemical that the body cannot produce and are the building blocks that make up muscles and other essential body parts. When turkey is ingested, L-tryptophan from the turkey travels from the bloodstream to the digestive system, and eventually to the brain. The brain then transforms the L-tryptophan to serotonin, which is a well known natural sedative that calms us down and help us sleep.

However, there are more factors to turkey causing sleepiness. Because L-tryptophan can only make you sleepy on an empty stomach, without the existence of other amino acids in your stomach, it is impossible that turkey itself is the main cause of sleepiness. Most often, turkey is eatten on Thanksgiving along with many other high carbohydrate foods that also promotes sleepiness.

The bottom line is that turkey itself does not make you sleepy!