tortoise
Tue, Oct-12-04, 16:47
http://www.fftimes.com/index.php/6/2004-10-12/18706
Stuffing, not turkey, may be making you tired
October 12, 2004
(CP)
If you’re tired after Thanksgiving dinner, don’t blame the turkey.
It’s the stuffing and spuds that gobble your energy, says a nutrition professor at the University of Western Ontario.
“There’s a common misconception that turkey makes you sleepy after a family feast, but it now looks like the high amount of carbohydrates consumed in potatoes and stuffing and crusty dinner rolls could tip the scales toward people wanting a nap,” said Len Pich, of the nutrition program at Western’s Brescia College.
While turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan that can make people feel relaxed when taken in huge quantities, the barnyard delicacy also includes an amino acid called tyrosine that serves as a mild stimulant.
“So it’s a little like ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ One acid makes you drowsy and the other wakes you up, so they might be cancelling each other out,” Pich said.
But carbohydrates help the brain absorb the laid-back amino acid more than the stimulant, he said. So the carbs, not the carving, may be at fault.
“We also feel tired in part because more blood is directed to the digestive system, so there is less for other parts of our body like our skin, making us feel the need to curl up and get cozy,” Pich added.
“So if you see your relatives dropping off at the dinner table, that could be it.”
Stuffing, not turkey, may be making you tired
October 12, 2004
(CP)
If you’re tired after Thanksgiving dinner, don’t blame the turkey.
It’s the stuffing and spuds that gobble your energy, says a nutrition professor at the University of Western Ontario.
“There’s a common misconception that turkey makes you sleepy after a family feast, but it now looks like the high amount of carbohydrates consumed in potatoes and stuffing and crusty dinner rolls could tip the scales toward people wanting a nap,” said Len Pich, of the nutrition program at Western’s Brescia College.
While turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan that can make people feel relaxed when taken in huge quantities, the barnyard delicacy also includes an amino acid called tyrosine that serves as a mild stimulant.
“So it’s a little like ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ One acid makes you drowsy and the other wakes you up, so they might be cancelling each other out,” Pich said.
But carbohydrates help the brain absorb the laid-back amino acid more than the stimulant, he said. So the carbs, not the carving, may be at fault.
“We also feel tired in part because more blood is directed to the digestive system, so there is less for other parts of our body like our skin, making us feel the need to curl up and get cozy,” Pich added.
“So if you see your relatives dropping off at the dinner table, that could be it.”