As it turns out, tryptophan in turkey doesn't come close to being the only reason we feel sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. The real culprits behind our post-Thanksgiving sluggishness are the carbohydrates found in side dishes like mashed potatoes and pie. These carb-heavy foods increase our glucose levels, prompting our bodies to release insulin to manage the influx. As insulin aids in the glucose regulation process, it diverts other amino acids, giving tryptophan unblocked access to the brain, where it gets transformed into serotonin, unwinding our brains and creating a soporific effect.
The notion of turkey causing sleepiness because of tryptophan is exploded when you realize that other meats, like chicken and pork, contain comparable—or even higher—levels of this amino acid. Furthermore, some foods like freeze-dried tofu actually have significantly more tryptophan than turkey. Hence, blaming your food coma entirely on turkey is misleading.
While tryptophan does contribute to the post-meal lethargy, it is the combination of carbohydrate overload and hormonal responses to sugar that primarily lead to that Thanksgiving sloth. The overload triggers insulin, which distracts other amino acids from blocking tryptophan, thereby allowing it easy access to the brain. This is a complex biochemical interplay rather than a simple food reaction.
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