Man, turkey's got a bad rep. Even though for many moons people have been attributing their post-Thanksgiving and -Christmas dinner snoozes on turkey, we've got news for you. Turkey isn't to blame after all.
But! It contains this thing called tryptophan! And we hear your first cousin, twice-removed arguing that tryptophan makes you sleepy!
So do plenty of other foods. In fact, turkey barely makes it into top 10 of foods with the highest amount of tryptophan. Cheddar, soy beans, cod, sesame seeds and even pork chops contain proportionally more tryptophan than the precious holiday turkey.
So if isn't turkey, what is it?
Sleepiness engulfs even the best of us after a heavy, festive meal. Experts say it's the copious amounts of carbohydrates and alcohol rather than tryptophan.
Your body has to work harder to break down all the food and drink you've consumed during your three-hour-long festive dinner, and in order for it to concentrate, it needs you to to stay put. And what's a better way to get you glued to your seat than to make you fall asleep?
