By: Jillian Pancio, Student Nutritionist Thanksgiving- everyone's favorite Thursday of the year, is right around the corner! Have you ever wondered why after eating a delicious Thanksgiving meal with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and much more, you feel exhausted? Well if you have, it isn't just because you are so stuffed, there is a reason! Turkey contains L-Tryptophan which is an essential amino acid. An essential amino acid is one that your body can not produce, so it must be obtained through your diet. Tryptophan is used to make a B vitamin- niacin, and is needed to produce serotonin. Serotonin is used to make melatonin, which is a hormone that helps control your sleep cycles. Turkey along with other protein rich foods like eggs, nuts and soy are a good source of tryptophan, but what boosts levels of serotonin is the pairing of one of these proteins with a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates trigger the release of amino acids that suppress insulin. These Amino Acids compete with one another to enter the brain. Insulin does not block tryptophan so it is free to enter the brain without any competition. Therefore, the combination will boost your serotonin, and make you sleepy! So, the grogginess felt on Thanksgiving day is not linked to the Turkey after all. This combination of protein containing tryptophan and carbohydrate could happen with numerous foods. There is no need to incriminate the turkey. Enjoy your day of indulging and grogginess, after all this all you can eat holiday is only once a year!
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