24Nov 2016 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Ronny Allan

Award winning Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Advocate. Diagnosed with Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer in 2010.

I have been posting this every year on last Thursday in November and I kept forgetting that other countries other than USA (and Territories of the United States) also do Thanksgiving but mostly on different dates. This includes (but is probably not limited to): Canada, Brazil, Grenada, Liberia, Saint Lucia, Leiden (Netherlands), Norfolk Island (Australia). I hope you all had/have a great Thanksgiving Day!

Turkey and Sleep

Now …….. I hate to stereotype but I guess a lot of you might be eating turkeyon Thanksgiving Day? No Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey at the table (… so I’m told!). And also, a nap right after it’s eaten….. right?

As you know I like to analyse such things …… Apparently, the meat has a bad reputation for making eaters sleepy, but is there really science to back that up? My google alerts feed increases around this time of the year due to the connection of turkey with the word ‘serotonin’ (one of my alert keywords). So, for me, this is very educational. Those who read my Serotonin article may remember that tryptophan is one of the key amino acids in our diet and is partly responsible for the manufacture of Serotonin in our system. Turkey is said to be high in tryptophan although some say it’s no higher than many other types of meat. I’ve also heard stories about how eating too much turkey makes you sleepy. Melatonin is said to be the hormone that helps with sleep regulation and is manufactured from Serotonin (…..which is manufactured from tryptophan). If you’re confused so far, you’ve probably had too much turkey and feel sleepy! However……… the articles I read, (New York Times and Time Magazine) both confirm the turkey/sleepy connection as a “common myth” and actually could be due to the copious amounts of other food and drink consumed at the same time as the turkey! In any case, what’s wrong with an afternoon or evening nap after a traditional meal?

For those worried about eating too much tryptophan, don’t be, all NET dietitians say you should not be concerned about this and the only food restrictions that apply are right before the 5HIAA test as directed by your local specialist. Actually, I also read that turkey is a really healthy meat to eat, it’s low in fat, full of protein and other nutrients including the important B vitamins that NET patients might be at risk of being deficient. Note to self …… eat more turkey!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving! It’s OK to have a nap too ……

On a personal note, I’m also very thankful to still be here after 11 years!

AND ….. also thankful to those who support my social media sites!