Q: Does the Tryptophan in turkey really make people sleepy?

A: "It's a complete myth," Rebecca Corwin, associate professor of nutrition neuroscience, said.

The amount of tryptophan in turkey combined with the other food that accompanies a Thanksgiving feast will not make a person sleepy, Corwin said.

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in all foods that have protein, since protein is composed of a combination of amino acids, Manfred Kroger, professor of food science, said.

"Tryptophan is considered to be a sleep-inducer," he said, adding that during a Thanksgiving meal, it will not make you nap. It is a full stomach that makes a person tired, he said.

Turkey meat is a high-protein food, and after digestion, the Tryptophan becomes available to the body and enters the blood stream, eventually reaching the brain, where it has a calming effect, Kroger said.

Tryptophan is being sold in drug stores in a pill form, he added.

"Tryptophan is totally safe, and there is no need to purchase Tryptophan tablets because it is available in all foods with protein like eggs, chicken, milk and cottage cheese," Kroger said.

Doctors would not prescribe Tryptophan pills.

"It is not as powerful like something you would get from Merck or Pfizer," Kroger said.

Tryptophan has wiggled its way into folklore, Kroger said. Many grandmothers and mothers tell their children to drink a warm glass of milk to put them to sleep, but really it will only have a calming effect, he said.

---Compiled by Liz Coviello