Is it a myth or is it a fact that eating turkey makes us sleepy?
Is turkey really a Thanksgiving sedative?
Here's what we know: Turkey does contains tryptophan, and it can cause drowsiness, so there's your answer.
But hold on, the answer isn't quite that simple.
While turkey does contain tryptophan, it isn't an exceptional amount, actually, it's about the same amount as chicken and hamburger meat.
And other proteins, like pork and cheese, contain more tryptophan per gram than turkey.
Even though turkey has long been blamed for making people sleepy, we think it's highly possible the sleepiness has something to do with all the overeating we do on Thanksgiving.
It's most likely the combination of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, dinner rolls, pies, and the turkey that's to blame.
It will come as no surprise that eating any large meal will make you sleepy because blood flow and oxygenation to the brain decrease.
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