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Turkey isn’t just for Christmas Day, it’s for life!

• 19 December 2014 • 0 Comments

francesca

 

Turkey is a Christmas classic and the food of choice in most households on Christmas Day. It is a rich source of tryptophan which has been shown to promote sleep1. This may help to explain the common post Christmas dinner slump that most of us know so well; however, the high amounts of carbohydrates in those roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and mince pies may also be to blame!

This wonderful source of lean protein and other nutrients really should be consumed all year round. It is so easy to incorporate into our daily diets, it’s inexpensive, readily available and easy to prepare.

So what exactly is tryptophan you ask? it is an ‘essential’ amino acid which means it cannot be synthesized in the body and must be taken in through our food. The body uses tryptophan to produce the protein it needs. Tryptophan (also known as 5-HTP) is converted into serotonin in the body and brain, using vitamin B6 and zinc to do this. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps the body regulate appetite, mood and sleep. Serotonin can be further converted into melatonin, again using vitamin B6 and zinc. Melatonin’s main role in the brain is to regulate sleep. Low levels of serotonin mean we cannot make enough melatonin and may then have trouble sleeping. Waking up super early in the morning and struggling to get back to sleep can be a classic symptom of a serotonin and tryptophan deficiency.  These 3 neurotransmitters are essential chemicals for the brain, helping to prevent and manage depression, anxiety and insomnia or just general sleep issues2.

Turkey is also a rich source of selenium; which is essential for the body’s metabolism and for the thyroid to function properly.. It is a powerful antioxidant so it can support the immune system. Turkey also contains B6 which, as mentioned above, is needed to convert tryptophan to serotonin. B6 is also helps to keep blood levels of homocysteine low which is important for keeping depression at bay3.

Tryptophan can also be found in:

  • Cheese (organic cottage cheese, organic natural yoghurt)
  • Chicken
  • Eggs
  • Beans and legumes
  • Spinach
  • Grass fed beef
  • Fish (shrimps, scallops, salmon, cod, tuna, sardines, halibut)
  • Cow’s milk
  • Nuts (cashews, almonds and walnuts)
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Soy (non GM only)
  • Tofu (non GM only)
  • Crimini mushrooms

 

Tip! A great bedtime snack to have about 30 mins before bed is 1 or 2 oat cakes with some cottage cheese. This can help encourage serotonin and melatonin and thus aid restful sleep. The insulin released by the complex carbohydrate in the oat cake will help to carry the tryptophan to the brain.

Francesca Liparoti Dip ION, FdSc, BA (hons), mBant, CNHC. Is a London based Nutritional Therapist.


www.flnutrition.co.uk

 

References

  1. Fukushige H, Fukuda Y, Tanaka M, Inami K, Wada K, Tsumura Y, Kondo M, Harada T, Wakamura T, Morita T. Effects of tryptophan-rich breakfast and light exposure during the daytime on melatonin secretion at night. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, vol 33 (1) 2014.
  2. Smith KA, Fairburn CG, Cowen PJ. Relapse of depression after rapid depletion of tryptophan. The Lancet, vol
  3. Kaitlyn Rechenberg and Debbie Humphries. Nutritional Interventions in Depression and Perinatal Depression. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, vol 86 2013.

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