What would Thanksgiving be without a dose of tryptophan? This "drug" is an amino acid produced by the body and found in certain foods. While tryptophan is widely known to cause drowsiness, what few people know is that our bodies use tryptophan to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects appetite and mood in addition to sleep patterns. Serotonin is one of the "happy" chemicals in our brains that help our cells communicate. Other substances that induce serotonin production, or prolong its time in our synapses, are MDMA, psilocybin, and many antidepressant medications in the class of MAOIs.
What effects does this increased release of serotonin have? For one thing, it may curb impulsive behavior -- so people who gorge on turkey are less likely to overdrink, overdose, have lots of sex (and not just because they're feeling gross) or overspend -- according to MSNBC, this may have an inhibitory effect on those sale-frenzied shoppers who hit the streets at 4am to get the best deal on a Wii or a flatscreen TV:
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/22/5511082-thanksgiving-dinner-may-curb-holiday-spending-study-shows
Concerned about those impulse buys? Have some turkey for breakfast....or, for vegetarians, have some soybeans, spirulina, sesame seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds, as these are all excellent sources of tryptophan too!
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