**Short answer: What’s the thing in turkey that makes you tired?**
Contrary to popular belief, tryptophan – an amino acid found in turkey – does not cause drowsiness. However, consuming alcohol and overeating during Thanksgiving dinner can make you feel sleepy. Other factors such as long hours spent cooking or traveling for the holiday may also contribute to feelings of fatigue.
Unveiling the Causes: How Does Turkey Leave You Feeling Drained and Sleepy?
As many of us may have experienced during or after a Thanksgiving feast, the consumption of turkey often leaves us feeling drained and sleepy. But what exactly causes this phenomenon? Is it just an Old Wives’ Tale with no scientific basis?
Well, the answer is not as simple as you might think. While there are many myths surrounding the effects of turkey on our body’s energy levels, some science backs up the claims.
One prevalent belief is that L-tryptophan present in turkey is responsible for making us feel tired. This amino acid is said to increase serotonin levels in our brains which can result in drowsiness. Turkey contains significant amounts of L-tryptophan, but so do many other foods such as cheese, eggs, and nuts. So why does eating those items not make us feel equally sleepy?
The truth is that tryptophan alone cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier effectively enough to cause drowsiness by itself. However, when combined with carbohydrates (such as stuffing and mashed potatoes), insulin levels rise causing all other amino acids except for tryptophan to be absorbed into cells for their use. This results in increased levels of tryptophan in your bloodstream leading to a higher production of serotonin – hence sleepiness.
Another possible explanation revolves around digestion time and processes involved. Eating a large meal like Thanksgiving dinner requires more energy from your body than usual due to its size; therefore slowing down digestive processes could lead to feelings of lethargy.
Turkey also contains fat which takes longer for your stomachs enzymes break down and digest compared to protein-rich meat cuts like chicken or beef. Fat slows down our digestion process resulting in feelings sluggishness post-meal.
Lastly consuming alcohol alongside thanksgiving meals affects how quick nutrients will get transported through your bloodstream eventually contributing toward feeling super famished!
In conclusion while L-tryptophan plays a role regarding producing serotonin relaxing neurotransmitter and gene expression facilitating sleep onset, it alone is not enough to make us sleepy after eating turkey. The combination of tryptophan-containing foods with carbohydrates and fat found in Thanksgiving feasts could be potentially responsible for our post-meal fatigue inducing sensation, alongside digestion taking significant energy from the body.
So who knew that something as seemingly innocent as a delicious roast turkey could leave you feeling like you’ve run a marathon, but now we have some scientific explanation for this hypothesis so go easy on yourself, sit back and relax – Happy Feast!
A Complete Guide to the Culprit: The Step-By-Step Explanation of What’s the Thing in Turkey that Makes You Tired
As much as we love devouring a delicious Turkey feast, the trip to snooze town that follows can be quite frustrating and inconvenient. It’s no secret that consuming excessive amounts of turkey during Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is known to make people tired; however, it’s always been unclear as to what exactly causes this feeling of sluggishness and lethargy.
Well, whether you’re a Turkey enthusiast or just curious about the science behind why our bodies feel so fatigued following a stuffed bird festivity, we’ve got all the details for you right here. In this complete guide, we’ll delve deep into what really goes on in your body after consuming copious amounts of turkey meat.
First things first – if you’re under the impression that turkey meat has an extraordinarily high level of tryptophan compared to other foods such as chicken or beef, then allow us to break down some facts. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in most protein-containing substances. While it is true that turkey contains moderate levels of tryptophan, scientists have confirmed that it does not contain significantly higher quantities than any other poultry items.
For years now, experts have believed that post-turkey fatigue was caused by elevated levels of tryptophan working alongside complex carbohydrates present in most traditional side dishes like mashed potatoes and stuffing. But wait – research tells us otherwise!
The key factor responsible for making you sleepy after munching down on that scrumptious holiday meal isn’t really attributed to heightened levels of tryptophan (although it plays its part), instead – culprit number one: excess consumption! Consuming large portions at once sends signals to your brain telling your gut system ‘I need time off’ which subsequently results in less blood flow being directed towards other parts responsible for cognitive alertness.
Secondly: Drinks matter too! Alcohol intakes tend to lead towards increased drowsiness since alcohol itself functions both as a depressant and potent sleep inducer. Add that to the sugar peak coming from those drinks with the preservatives such as in beers or colas, counteracting it can be quite herculean.
Lastly, when you have big meals, blood flow is rapidly shifted to aid digestion putting your body systems on low alertness – making you feel lethargic for quite a while! Our advice? Try eating slowly and smaller portions of food maybe breaking up multiple consumption phases during dinner- this will help keep energy levels even keel throughout festivities thereby keeping dreaded sloth feeling at bay!
In conclusion, by being mindful of what we consume in quantity as well as quality especially during holiday feasts-we ensure that unwanted tiredness just doesn’t happen after every big meal which leads us to cherish sweet moments without missing out on all of them due to fatigue taking over most part of it – enjoy responsibly!
Addressing Common Questions: Your FAQs on ‘What’s the Thing in Turkey that Makes You Tired’ Answered!
Bonus – Top 5 Facts About ‘What’s the Thing in Turkey That Makes You Tired’ That Will Surprise You
It’s that time of year again when the holidays are around the corner, and people start preparing for their Thanksgiving feast. Turkey has been a staple during this holiday season, but there have always been rumors surrounding why we feel so tired after eating it. Well, fear not my fellow food enthusiasts! In this blog article, we will be answering your most frequently asked questions about “What’s the Thing in Turkey That Makes You Tired,” and also provide you with some surprising facts that you probably didn’t know.
1. Q: Is tryptophan what makes us sleepy?
A: Yes and no – tryptophan is an amino acid found in turkey that helps our bodies produce serotonin (a hormone responsible for making us feel happy!) which can make us feel relaxed and drowsy. However, while turkey does contain tryptophan, its levels aren’t significantly higher than other meats such as chicken or beef.
2. Q: If it’s not just tryptophan alone causing sleepiness then how come I only feel tired after eating turkey?
A: Portion size plays a big role here – most of us tend to overeat on Thanksgiving day resulting in consuming many calories all at once between heavy dishes like sweet potatoes with butter & marshmallows or stuffing made from bread crumbs cooked in poultry fat! This sudden increase in calorie intake triggers insulin release which causes the body to use sleep-inducing melatonin instead of blood sugar!
3. Q: Why do some people experience energy crashes after eating sweets vs cooking oils found deep fried foods?
A: Your body processes sugars quickly into glucose used by cells muscles providing them instant energy; however when too much sugar floods through nerve endings or blood vessels too fast results high lows feeling lethargic emotionless avoidable way balancing your diet including lean healthy fats processed protein aside nutritious carbohydrates preferably plant based will ensure more sustained vitality avoiding spikes crashes alike!!
4. Q: Can drinking alcohol affect my energy levels after a turkey feast?
A: Yes, it can! Alcohol is a depressant that slows down your central nervous system and causes you to feel drowsy. When combined with the tryptophan in turkey or other heavy foods, this effect can be amplified resulting in an even more intense feeling of tiredness.
5. Q: Are there any benefits to consuming turkey?
A: Absolutely! Turkey is a low-fat source of protein that contains several essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. It also provides us with antioxidants like selenium which helps boost our immune systems – so don’t feel guilty about enjoying some turkey during the holidays!
Top 5 Facts About ‘What’s the Thing in Turkey That Makes You Tired’ That Will Surprise You
1) The amount of tryptophan found in pumpkin seeds surpasses that within food portions eaten from festive birds cooked for family gatherings
2) While over-consumption definitely contributes fatigue holiday activity likely affects level lethargic feelings experienced day celebrating together
3) There isn’t enough evidence indicating actual sleep triggering phenomenon post-turkey-dinner
4) Other than frozen turkeys sold commercially produced fresh kills contain added fluids sometimes ignored when weighing them at purchase grossing higher price/tag
5) People generally tend assume meats causing sensation knowing vegetarian cuisine working same way through plant sources tofu tempeh fermented beans whose molecular structure allows resemble amino acids contained prey mammals domesticated fowl boosting brain chemicals leading mood elevation reducing oxidative stress.
In conclusion- do not avoid eating your favorite bird thinking it will make you sleepy all day long Instead portion control alternatively selecting veggie dishes keeping consumption moderation while choosing organic meat product if feasible making huge difference on how your body feels digest endure effects foods better consumed properly fuel metabolism respecting its timing preferences Happy Thanksgiving!!
