Thanksgiving’s Trivial Tryptophan

As we stuff our faces this Thanksgiving with loads of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and all the rest, undoubtedly someone at the table will say “well the tryptophan is kicking in, I’m going to go take a nap.” This is when I bite my tongue. I would like to say “well actually you have it wrong…” but no one likes a know-it-all over the holidays.

What’s the truth? Well actually tryptophan is an amino acid (the building blocks of proteins). This amino acid is a precursor for serotonin, which is a hormone that indeed can make you sleepy. However, the amount of tryptophan in turkey is not enough to make any appreciable difference in the amount of serotonin your body makes. So why do you feel like laying down after thanksgiving? It’s simply the volume of food that is consumed. When we eat more our body does a cool thing, it pushes blood to the digestive system and tells us to rest and digest. When we have more blood flow to the digestive system and less to our muscles we don’t feel like running around, we feel like finding a good place to curl up and nap.

Dr. Kauffman is a licensed chiropractor in Loveland, OH. He serves patients in Cincinnati and the areas of Mason Ohio, Lebanon Ohio, West Chester Ohio, and Loveland Ohio. Please call us today at 513-444-4529 for an appointment with your Loveland Ohio chiropractor, Dr. Kauffman.