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Originally Posted by BillyMac
From Old School: "Is food a drug? Depends on the defintion of a drug. I can eat certain foods and be put to sleep."
Turkey does have the makings of a natural sedative in it, an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that the body cannot manufacture it. The body has to get tryptophan and other essential amino acids from food. Tryptophan helps the body produce the B-vitamin niacin, which, in turn, helps the body produce serotonin, a remarkable chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a role in sleep.
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Well, kinda.
The role of excess turkey in putting people to sleep (a story that comes up every Thanksgiving) is rather overstated.