#tryptophan

#tryptophan

Late-night snacking has had a bad rap for a long time. When pop culture takes a stab at this (very) human thing, it often portrays the scene as pernicious or, at best, distasteful. Combine that with regular condemnation by diet culture and accusatory media headlines that frame after-dinner eating as a moral failing, and it's easy to see why most of us want to steer clear.

There's a fairy tale about Thanksgiving that gets refuted every fall. Does eating turkey really make you fall asleep? When science writers check in with the experts, they always get the same response: No, no, no, and no. Also no and no. These holiday debunkers tell you what the science says: Turkey meat is not a sedative. They tell you what the studies show: Drumsticks don't produce fatigue.