day twenty-four
So how many people still rattle off facts about tryptophan after eating all that turkey? They think they’re so smart, don’t they? It’s old news, people. Turkey has a chemical that makes you sleepy. But so do other foods. Take it away, science:
L-tryptophan needs to be taken on an empty stomach and without any other amino acids or protein in order to make you drowsy. There’s lots of protein in a serving of turkey and it’s probably not the only food on the table.
It’s worth noting that other foods contain as much or more tryptophan than turkey (0.333 g of tryptophan per 100 gram edible portion), including chicken (0.292 g of tryptophan per 100 gram edible portion), pork, and cheese. As with turkey, other amino acids are present in these foods besides tryptophan, so they don’t make you sleepy.
Maybe it’s the fact that you just had three servings of everything with extra gravy plus a few glasses of wine that’s making you a little sleepy, hm?
Happy Turkey Day. I am so full.
