You may have noticed feeling tired after a turkey meal, sometimes during a holiday or banquet, and heard that a substance in turkey makes you drowsy. That substance is an amino acid called tryptophan, which manufactures a neurotransmitter to affect moods. Tryptophan, also present in other foods, causes the drowsy reaction and not necessarily the turkey. Of course, a heavy meal or overeating can create feelings of fatigue, but eating turkey in moderation helps bring you calming effects for relaxation because of tryptophan.
Amino Acids
Amino acids from protein foods boost levels of certain neurotransmitters, which determine your mood and behavior. Some amino acids energize you. The amino acid tyrosine, for example, travels from the bloodstream to the brain network where it increases production of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. These neurotransmitters improve your mental alertness and provide you with more energy, according to Middle Tennessee State University. Tryptophan has the opposite effect by relaxing you. The amino acids that dominate your brain network determine your mood.
Serotonin
Other amino acids often overpower tryptophan during the pathway from the bloodstream to the brain. Eating turkey or other foods with tryptophan helps increase the performance of the amino acid. Tryptophan crosses the blood-and-brain barrier and converts to the neurotransmitter serotonin once it reaches the brain. Serotonin provides you with a sense of calm and improves sleep. The neurotransmitter also signals feelings of fullness to help satisfy your appetite. Serotonin even plays a role in reducing pain by concentrating in areas where you experience injury.
Moderation
When you eat too much turkey, the feeling of relaxation turns to drowsiness because of very high tryptophan levels. If you want a sense of calm instead of fatigue, consume moderate portions of turkey. Other foods that contain tryptophan include chicken, eggs, cheese, milk, peanut butter and nuts. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables also contain carbohydrates that help tryptophan function. Carbohydrates release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin blocks out the other amino acids and leaves tryptophan alone so it can travel to the brain and convert to serotonin.
Balance Your Moods
Eating foods with tryptophan helps combat mild anxiety, according to MayoClinic.com. Anxiety often results from stress. Eating protein foods, such as beef, releases energy-inducing amino acids that may intensify your anxiety by boosting your energy levels. Turkey has protein to keep you alert, but also tryptophan for calmness to balance your moods. Choosing a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread for lunch may help keep your moods level during the day to deal with stress. You may have to learn more about how your body reacts to foods. By adjusting your portions and balancing protein with tryptophan and carbohydrates, you can avoid drowsiness while achieving your desired calming effects. A diet may help you avoid mild anxiety that occurs on occasion, but consult your doctor if you have frequent or prolonged periods of anxiety, which indicate anxiety disorder.
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