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Thursday, November 23, 2006

Crash Course

posted by on November 23 at 13:25 PM

L-tryptophan.jpg

Unlike Thanksgiving, other holiday feasts are, at least, preceded by some type of honorary ritual - egg hunting, present opening, candy begging. “Pass the gravy” is as close to a ritual incantation as we get. In lieu of any genuine ceremony, Thanksgiving is dedicated solely to gluttony.

One modern myth, however, has given Americans license to turn that gluttony into unabashed laziness. Tryptophan, the oft discussed amino acid in turkey that allegedly transorms us from dinner table socializers to couch sitting sloths, has been the scapegoat for all us folks who don’t want to do the dishes - or anything, for that matter.

Well, folks, don’t tell the kids on dish duty, but you’re not wiped out from the Tryptophan:

Nutritionists and other experts say that the tryptophan in turkey probably won’t trigger the body to produce more serotonin because tryptophan works best on an empty stomach. The tryptophan in a Thanksgiving turkey has to vie with all the other amino acids that the body is trying to use. So only part of the tryptophan makes it to the brain to help produce serotonin.

It is the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal that can produce that after-dinner lethargy. The meal is quite often heavy and high in carbohydrates — from mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing and pie — and your body is working hard to digest that food. Also, if you drink alcohol with your dinner, you will likely feel its sedative effect, too.

See - it’s not the Tryptophan - we’re just nation of drunken, lazy sows. “We’re all going to hell,” said my brother, Michael. “But the food in hell is excellent!” So, um, pass the gravy…

RSS icon Comments

1

Good stuff to post, Dominic. I never bought the whole 'tryptophan as sedative' theory. It's always been clear common sense that if you eat a ton of food, you will feel sluggish and lazy as your body digests it all.

Eat away! I certainly have no intention of doing anything today.

Posted by Gomez | November 23, 2006 2:15 PM
2

well buy it or not it is true

those of us with a bit more sensitive systems can tell the effect from a turkey san at noon

let alone the whole bird - and of course - publicity hacks for the food industry are saying it does not really have any effect - go buy and eat a lot

do you know when you have an orgasm Gomez? or still wondeding what all the fuss is about

Posted by Jack | November 23, 2006 2:33 PM
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Well, there is that whole "giving thanks" thing, but other than that, no ceremony, no.

Posted by Justin | November 23, 2006 2:39 PM
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What.

Ask the people whose families have honeybaked ham or some roast in lieu of turkey how they feel afterward. I bet they feel very, very similar, if not the exact same way.

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