Thanksgiving is Here!

Greetings!

As we approach Thanksgiving I thought it would be appropriate to post something related to this holiday of feasting.  Of course, the biggest topic for Thanksgiving is usually the "tryptophan in turkey will make you sleepy" conversation.  We've all talked about it and seemingly have succumbed to it's sleeping properties, but there may be more behind this concept than you once thought.  Although it is true that tryptophan, an amino acid, is used for mood relaxation and sleep remedies, the amount you get from your turkey alone generally will not provide enough to put you down by itself.  So why do you still get sleepy from Thanksgiving dinner?

Amino Acid Info
Tryptophan Info

First, being an essential amino acid our body cannot make tryptophan on it's own so we must digest it from outside sources.  Not all amino acids are created the same and tryptophan is an aromatic amino acid as opposed to the the much heard about BCAA (branch chain amino acid).  We also know tryptophan is used in sleep medicines because it is a precursor to serotonin, which can then be converted into melatonin.  These two compounds help with sleep regulation and help maintain overall sleep.  Where am I going with this?

When we eat our Thanksgiving dinner and heap on piles of turkey we do ingest tryptophan.  However, according to this list Tryptophan Rich Foods, turkey isn't very high on the foods that would provided enough tryptophan to make you fall to sleep.  But, as most of us will have a combonation of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and wine, we should take a look at some of turkey's accomplices on the plate.  These side dishes will contain carbohydrates and when consumed, will release insulin.

When you skip your breakfast for that nice doughnut or the bagel with cream cheese, it isn't too long after that you start to feel very tired and on the hunt for more sugary snacks to feed your crave.  The "sugar crash" as we all have heard occurs when we ingest high amounts of carbohydrates, especially simple sugars, and the body must release high amounts of insulin to try and take all those sugars to their final destination generally for energy.  Once the blood glucose drops we notice the tired, lazy feelings that soon follow.  This process also has an effect on amino acid uptake in the body and thus, may be what we should really being paying attention to.

As insulin is released it also increases the BCAA uptake, but seems to leave the aromatic (tryptophan) alone for the most part (read more here if you are interested).  So what this means is that when you eat your big dinner, tryptophan will be present in the body, but as you eat other starchy, sugary food the insulin that is released to deal with the carbohydrates, it will also take some of those amino acids with it, but tends to leave the tryptophan alone, so that the total number of tryptophan is much higher than the other amino acids in the blood.  With tryptophan now being higher in number than the rest of those amino acids, it can now begin it's process of converting into those relaxing chemicals that make our eyes very heavy.

Also on a personal note, I as well as many others, can all relate to eating a meal that is much larger than normal and feeling very worn down and sluggish afterwards. When a larger than normal meals comes along, like Thanksgiving, our body has to work overtime to digest the food. The more overtime your body requires to digest all that food will, the less energy you will have until the job is done.  I'm sure you can all remember a meal other than thanksgiving where your stomach felt like it was going to explode and you just had to sit down as if you were incapacitated.  This also plays a large role in your post dinner nap.

This year when someone asks that glaring question, or when someone states the reason why another is sleepy, you can impress them with some science with the information you've learned today.  It's not splitting atoms, but hey, many people will be shocked to learn about amino acids and insulin uptake so have fun with the info.

I hope everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving!  Please have a safe and enjoyable time with your friends and family and be sure to realize what you have to be thankful for.  I know that along with my family and my friends, I am very thankful for being able to work with such wonderful people everyday, which has had an indescribable effect on my life.  I also wish to thank all who have taken the time to read these posts and continue to allow me to help them learn something new each week.

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action"- W.J. Cameron

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

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