Sleep Expert: Turkey Doesn't Make You Tired On Thanksgiving
By David Madden
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - For most of us, Thanksgiving without turkey is like trying to get a Philly Cheese Steak in California. It's just not right.
One reason why, perhaps, is that soft, warm feeling you get after dinner, but one local expert suggests it's not just the turkey that produces that feeling.
Dr. Sigrid Veasey is a sleep expert at Penn who cites several studies suggesting the amount of tryptophan -- a sleep inducing amino acid in the average bird -- isn't much:
"You would have to eat about six large turkeys to have enough tryptophan, and maybe even more to have a pronounced sleep effect on you."
So what causes that need to nap?
"We pile on the high carbs with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, other dishes -- applesauce -- all the other things that have some sugar in them, but also have some starch in them and probably some good fat in them," explains Veasey.
Add a couple of glasses of wine and that'll relax you. And if you're driving home after the meal, you might want to wait awhile, until that euphoric feeling wanes a tad.
Veasey suggests you follow the advice often offered by KYW medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough: Everything in moderation.
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