the truth about L-tryptophan

Our word for the day: L-tryptophan (ell-trip-toe-fan).

It’s the supposed active ingredient in turkey that makes you feel sleepy and sluggish after that big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Some like to refer to this post-meal drowsiness as the ‘itis.’ Well, the fact is that L-tryptophan is not the culprit of your feelings of grogginess, sleepiness and sudden exhaustion.