By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
Are you in a food coma during the holidays?
Many other people do it. Turkey, a mainstay on the table this time of year, contains tryptophan, which is widely believed to be the culprit behind the uncontrollable yawns and sudden naps that are common after big family celebrations.
“Tryptophan is an amino acid needed to produce serotonin, a hormone that serves many functions in our body, such as improving mood and sleep balance,” said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California. Medicament.
“The byproduct of tryptophan’s transformation process of serotonin is melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep cycle,” he said. “Our bodies don’t naturally produce tryptophan, so we have to get it from the food we eat. “
However, many foods, including turkey, contain tryptophan, including cheese, chicken, egg whites, fish, milk, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soybeans and sunflower seeds, according to the National Library of Medicine. .
Serotonin is one of the “past feeling” hormones that can calm the body. However, we don’t consume enough turkey at a holiday dinner, even if we eat it again for a few seconds, to create the amount of serotonin needed to fall asleep, said Steven Malin, an associate professor in the field of kinesiology and health at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
To get the amount of tryptophan needed to induce a food coma, he said, you’d have to eat about 8 pounds of turkey meat, or about part of a typical bird meant to serve a crowd. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) The U. S. Food and Drug Administration recommends setting aside 1 pound of turkey meat based on consumption during a holiday meal.
“Tryptophan from Turkey enters the brain and produces enough serotonin to make us sleepy,” Malin said.
So you can’t blame the one eater at your table for your sudden drowsiness, said sleep specialist Kristen Knutson, an associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Turkey doesn’t make us sleepy,” Knutson said. If we feel drowsy after a heavy meal, it’s probably because we haven’t gotten enough sleep in the days leading up to the big occasion and in the end we’re not able to kick the ball away.
Overeating in general is the leading cause of fatigue after eating, Dasgupta said.
“Don’t eat all the delicious side dishes that surround the turkey centerpiece, like sweet potato pie, casseroles and delicious desserts,” she said. “These tasty dishes contain a large amount of carbohydrates, which also contribute to drowsiness. ” after meals. “
Another explanation for why you feel drowsy after a meal is the flow of blood from your head to your digestive system.
“Eating a big holiday dinner generates an increase of blood in the abdomen to help digest the food, which leads to a decrease in blood in the brain, which makes one feel tired and prepares them to go to sleep,” Dasgupta said.
And don’t have the effect of drinking alcohol during the holidays as well. Many of the meals served at this time of year are accompanied by wine, cocktails, and champagne. Then there’s the ubiquitous beer (or two or three) that occasionally accompanies afternoon ball games.
“Let’s be honest. It’s the holidays and there may be family tension or fatigue during the trip, so you may have been drinking more than the same amount before,” Dasgupta said. “Alcohol slows down the brain and relaxes the muscles, so after a few drinks you’ll probably feel sleepy. “
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