Sleepy after dinner? Don’t blame the turkey

Nov, 23-2009 11:32 am

By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer

Just about the time when the dishes need to be washed and the table cleared, more than a few Thanksgiving diners will be looking for a big comfy chair to collapse in and nod off.

A food coma induced by overindulgence is generally evident in their glassy-eyed looks and frequent yawns. When Uncle Bob heads to the recliner for a catnap, the turkey and its tryptophan generally get the blame for the post-meal lethargy.

But don’t be so quick to blame the turkey for the need to snooze. It’s true that the sudden tiredness is related to the food, but to put all the blame on the turkey is giving the bird a short shrift.

The turkey does have the makings of a natural sedative, as the meat contains an essential amino acid in the naturally occurring tryptophan, which helps the body produce niacin, which aids in the body’s production of serotonin, the chemical in our system that acts on the brain as a calming agent and plays a role in sleep.

But according to TLC’s www.howitworks.com, tryptophan works best on an empty stomach, and if you just left the table, your stomach is far from empty.

What is going on is bigger than just the bird.

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner also consists of mashed potatoes, gravy, bread stuffing and corn, followed most often with pumpkin or apple pie. It is a carbohydrate bolus that puts the body into overdrive as it works to digest it all.

The blood rushes to the stomach to aid in digestion, and that is what fuels the sudden lethargy after dinner.

The obvious choice for those who want to avoid the tired feeling is eating less; taking a brisk walk after dinner can also help. Or just surrender to the need to nod off and recharge with a catnap.

Pamela Shuman of Pamela’s Health and Harmony in Margate suggests kukicha tea after the big dinner.

“It is a Japanese twig tea that promotes digestion, yet has a light caffeine effect,” she said.

“The other wonderful complement after Thanksgiving would be to serve something delicious like dark chocolate, or even the Endangered Species dark chocolate bar with ground espresso beans. It is the antioxidants of chocolate with a little kick from the caffeine.”