Turkey Meat

Out of 365 days of the year which day do you eat the most? For me, as I would say for most of us, Thanksgiving Day would be that day. In my home, we cook for at least 2 days to prepare for a meal that normally lasts between 30 – 45 minutes afterwards; the feeling of fullness is so overwhelming to the point all you can do is go to sleep. All kind of goodies that made the family tradition plus the new gadgets in the art of preparing a meal, they all make an exquisite gathering on the American Thanksgiving day. And who doesn’t like something good? We all do, don’t we?

Right, but have you ever heard someone say that turkey meat contains a component that causes us to sleep after the Thanksgiving dinner? Turkey indeed has in its composition an ingredient called L-tryptophan. L-tryptophan is in itself a sedative and it is found in turkey meat as well. However it has not been proven that the good old turkey is to blame for causing us all to sleep after our immense Thanksgiving dinners. The level of L-tryptophan in a turkey dinner is too low to have an effect such as this.

L-tryptophan was extensively used as a supplement sleeping aid in the United States in the past. It was also used when signs of premenstrual symptoms and depression occurred. Eosinophilic-myalgia appeared as a result of taking this supplement (back in 1990) that is the reason why the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) completely removed it from the market it’s commercialization being prohibited by law. L-tryptophan ingestion was a direct factor that caused prominent, serious pulmonary complications. The lungs problems were respiratory symptoms that began after one to nine months of L-tryptophan therapy. Out of those who had taken the supplement, around 5,000 people became ill and 27 of them died.

However the good old turkey is not to blame for causing us all to sleep after our immense Thanksgiving dinners. The level of L-tryptophan in a turkey dinner is too low to have such an effect. No matter what we eat, the thanksgiving dinner is so inviting that we will eventually feel sleepy after indulging on our once a year feast. Yes, the sleepiness hits us just before the game is about to come on.

I don’t know about you, but for me I will continue enjoying my turkey every Thanksgiving meal and the dishes will have to simply wait until I am done with my siesta.

A few interesting facts about our beloved and why not, delicious turkeys: in the early part of the 16th century Spaniards began importing turkeys to the country of Europe by interestingly way of the country of Turkey. During this same time period helmeted guinea fowls were also beginning to be imported to Europe by the same route. Because both birds were being introduced to Europe at the same time and they both look some what a like, Europeans confused one fowl with the other and referred to both as turkeys; Native Americans referred to the turkey as "peru". During the early days of European colonization of North America, the same happened with confusing the turkey with the helmeted guinea fowl.

Turkeys were first introduced to the early Pilgrim settlers by a Native American tribe known as the Wampanoag tribe soon after their landing in the "New World" in the year 1620.

Hunting for wild turkey became so popular that they were almost wiped out until in 1991 when the federal government stepped in.

In 1935, the estimated consumption of turkey per person per year was only 1.7 pounds; in today’s market this consumption has escalated to a whopping 20 pounds per person per year.

Turkey was most-associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas, making winter the prime season for turkey farmers. In 1935, the per capita consumption of turkey was only 1.7 pounds.

Today, turkey has been recognized as a lean substitute for red meat. Aggressive marketing by turkey farmers by advertising and availability of parts rather than the necessity of cooking a whole bird has increased consumption to 20 pounds per person per year, with 74 percent of the consumption being in sliced turkey sandwiches.

And, of course, who can resist drying the wishbone from the breast of the turkey to make a wish?