from soup's on to supine in three servings
as we head into the shortened holiday work week and prepare to enter a Turkey coma come Thursday, please be aware of what is NOT causing said coma: tryptophan. so sorry Seinfeld fans, sorry Weasel, and sorry Royal Caribbean (their current ads claim that a cruise is the antidote to tryptophan). as usual, the folks at the Urban Legend Reference Pages set it straight:
Turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid which is a natural sedative. But tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless it is taken on an empty stomach with no protein present, and the amount gobbled even during a holiday feast is generally too small to have an appreciable effect. That lazy, lethargic feeling so many are overcome by at the conclusion of a festive season meal is most likely due to the combination of drinking alcohol and overeating a carbohydrate-rich repast.
Those who still feel wary of turkey's purported sleep-inducing properties should find solace in the knowledge that many items we eat contain tryptophan. Milk, beef, and beans are among the foodstuffs which house this amino acid, and experts say chicken has higher levels of tryptophan than turkey does. If tryptophan were truly the sandman's henchman, we'd be falling asleep at the wheel on our way home from KFC.
so eat, watch football and make merry, but go easy on the wine and please make sure to brine your turkey.
Comments
My sister gave us this bottle of tryptophan pills for the dog called "Quiet Moments." It's supposed to mildly sedate your dog. You're supposed to give the dog half-a tablet per day, but I gave Ella a whole handful, and it didn't seem to make much difference. I guess this article explains why.
Posted by: Dave Nelson | November 23, 2004 07:25 PM
Man, I was sure it was the turkey. Must be the "Sumnah Purple" (a particularly virulent strain of cannabis sativa that survives Maine winters) we stuff the bird with.
or else, its the friggin' mashed spuds. Damnit!
Posted by: WisdomWeasel | November 24, 2004 02:21 PM