Not exactly. Like every good urban legend, there’s an element of truth to give it legs.
Tryptophan does metabolize into serotonin, some of which further metabolizes into melatonin, which can make you sleepy. But there isn’t more tryptophan in turkey than there is in other meats and some vegetables. It is an essential amino acid that you get from pretty much every meal that contains protein. Also, an overabundance of tryptophan doesn’t necessarily mean more seratonin or melatonin.
People get sleepy after eating a lot of turkey because their bellies are full of turkey (and probably stuffing and corn bread and mashed potatoes and gravy and pie and a few glasses of wine)
Not exactly. Like every good urban legend, there’s an element of truth to give it legs.
Tryptophan does metabolize into serotonin, some of which further metabolizes into melatonin, which can make you sleepy. But there isn’t more tryptophan in turkey than there is in other meats and some vegetables. It is an essential amino acid that you get from pretty much every meal that contains protein. Also, an overabundance of tryptophan doesn’t necessarily mean more seratonin or melatonin.
People get sleepy after eating a lot of turkey because their bellies are full of turkey (and probably stuffing and corn bread and mashed potatoes and gravy and pie and a few glasses of wine)
Agreed. The Mythbusters concluded that it’s the amount of food eaten that makes a person sleepy.