Myth 6: Eating Turkey Makes People Especially Drowsy
We all know the myth. You often hear it come up around the holidays, when people are eating large meals that usually feature a turkey. The association between turkey consumption and post-meal drowsiness has long been linked to the amino acid tryptophan. Nonetheless, scientific research shows that the sleep-inducing effects of turkey are not substantially different from other common protein sources. The real reason why you feel so sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner? Because you ate a big meal, much bigger than usual, and now your body is using more energy trying to digest it all. Both flow of blood and oxygen are being redirected from the brain to the digestive system, causing you to feel drowsy. Any larger protein and carbohydrate-heavy meal will cause the same effect, regardless of whether that meal features turkey.