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Why do we get tired after eating turkey? |
Dairy & Protein
After a big Thanksgiving dinner some people just want to curl up and go to sleep! Why do we get tired after eating turkey? Or do we?
People used to think a part of a certain protein (an “amino acid”) called L-tryptophan was the culprit, because when it’s digested, it changes into a chemical called “serotonin,” which makes people feel tired. However, today scientists have some other ideas!
One possibility is the carbohydrates in all those apple and pumpkin pies everybody loves! Carbohydrates increase brain serotonin, which, as we learned, makes you drowsy. Carbohydrates also make our bodies send out insulin to reduce blood sugars. Too much insulin means low blood sugar. The result? We feel really tired.
Another possibility? Thanksgiving dinner often contains a lot of fat, which takes a lot of energy to digest. Blood is sent to the digestive system to help digest these rich foods, and with less blood flow to other parts of the body, you feel tired. Lots of people also tend to eat too much on Thanksgiving—which also requires a lot of energy and blood flow to help get the job done.
So if you don’t want to feel tired after your meal, and you want to be healthy, eat small portions, get some exercise after dinner--and remember that there are usually plenty of leftovers for another day!
For a long time, L-tryptophan was believed to be the reason people felt tired after eating turkey. However, scientists discovered that this chemical can only make you tired if it’s eaten without any other amino acids! Because turkey has plenty of other amino acids, scientists realized it can’t be what’s makes us sleepy.
