#21 - Sleep and Food: You Sleep What You Eat

Learn about the amnio acid tryptophan and what food contain high levels.

Debunk the myth that turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, and thus is the reason why you fall asleep after eating turkey on Thanksgiving

Outline the steps in melatonin synthesis, beginning with tryptophan being facilitated by calcium and insulin levels in the body

List the various enzymes and chemicals that catalyze the steps of melatonin synthesis, and the nutrients that support them

Highlight foods that are sources of intrinsic melatonin, such as tart cherries, black walnuts, and almonds

Investigate GABA, potassium, and apigenin as chemicals outside of the melatonin synthesis pathway than can influence sleep.