Tryptophan and Hangover-Cures

The day after Thanksgiving is a weird day. Even without alcohol, one feels stuffy and sluggish. No warriors here, until breakfast comes around. Why does more food seem to double down and fix the couch potato effects of the Big Meal?

Listen, Warriors. For some reason, breakfast pizza may be a cure-all. It’s cured my sloth and refocused me on today’s tasks: Hallmark movies and online Christmas shopping. What a day.

But first, coffee. My father-in-law is busy taking leaves, wearing his navy sweatshirt that says “World’s Greatest DAD” in big block letters. Here we are in Hoosier-land. The Kelly Clarkson Show is on with a feature for a cop car karaoke duo. We’re stopping at Warm Glow Candle Outlet in Centerville, IN, soon, to do some casual browsing.

Science says, hangovers are caused by… alcohol. Hangover-like feelings may not only come from alcohol, though. We often name our sluggishness and headaches and other bodily aches and pains as hangover-like. The Mayo Clinic says: “Hangovers are caused by drinking too much alcohol. A single alcoholic drink is enough to trigger a hangover for some people, while others may drink heavily and escape a hangover entirely.”

Hangover symptoms include increased urine production, higher inflammatory response, irritated stomach lining (more stomach acid), low blood sugar (signs include shakiness, fatigue, mood disturbances), headaches from expanded blood vessels, sleepiness but disturbed sleep.

In addition, there is something called “congeners” that are the flavors in many alcohol beverages. Congeners can heighten hangovers, and are found more in darker alcohols.

con·ge·ner/kənˈjēnər/ plural noun: congeners. A minor chemical constituent, especially one that gives a distinctive character to a wine or liquor or is responsible for some of its physiological effects.

In no way do I condone the behaviors of over-drinking that leads to hangovers. It is interesting how our cultural phrasing of “food comas” that occur after large meals, especially with heavy carbohydrates and fats, lead to similar feelings of hangover, especially headaches, sluggishness and lower motivation, and most commonly inflammation. Inflammation leads to all sorts of physical aches and pains, and will drastically decrease your perceived energy levels and focus. Many persons have pursued an anti-inflammatory diet (high in omega-3 fatty acids and vegetables, and low in red meat and red wine).

“Turkey does have the makings of a natural sedative in it, an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that the body can’t manufacture it. The body has to get tryptophan and other essential amino acids from food.”

From “How Stuff Works”

Alcohol doesn’t always make the difference, but it certainly doesn’t help when paired with a fatty or high carb meal. Greasy meals will slow alcohol absorption if eaten before drinking. Why, then, do we believe a greasy brunch of hash browns and sausage gravy is a “hangover cure?”

This morning’s breakfast pizza had all of the classic hangover cure breakfast foods. It was exactly what I wanted. Now, though, a few hours later – it may not have been what I needed.

Many health websites declare the simple proteins and healthy fats to be the best hangover “cures” as they will help alleviate hangover symptoms. Examples of best foods to eat include eggs cooked cleanly, oats, greens, bananas, fruit juices, electrolyte replenishment, and ultimately – tons of water.

My wife recently tried “Cheers – After-Alcohol Aid” but we have no verdict yet. Cheers declares it is not a “hangover cure” but instead mitigates the effects of alcohol the next day, up to 50%. The pills include some vitamins and natural extracts to reduce the negative effects of alcohol the next morning.

Our national bar night was celebrated a day early this week, on Tuesday at our local in Michigan. A few Long Islands and Seven-Sevens in, we began wondering how our heads would feel for the last few hours of work Wednesday morning. The bartender gave us a treat, as she thought it was our first date (been married 15 months!) and explained her life story.

I ate little the next morning, but drank perhaps 48 ounces of water within thirty minutes of waking up and felt great by 9:00am. I also had an active work day, probably walking two and half miles and standing and stairs within a three hour period. These things combined helped way more than the greasy breakfast pizza this morning.

How, then, did the breakfast pizza help me feel “better” at first? Something about grease the morning after a night out (or in the similar realm of achy breaky body land the day after Thanksgiving) serves the soul. Ultimately, comfort food is psychologically important in healing. It probably won’t replenish your body, decrease inflammation, or moderate your energy. But our desire for physical peace has led us to lean on greasy foods to settle back in.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that increases serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep…Tryptophan is also found in other types of poultry, fish, yogurt, kale, bananas, whole grains, honey, nuts, eggs, and white rice.

From “well + good”

Warriors, it’s not worth it. In Valhalla, warriors fought all day and returned to party all night. They celebrated after their day-long discipline.

Ultimately tryptophan may not be the cause of your sleepiness, because of the amount of turkey needed to create even one gram of tryptophan. Perhaps our Thanksgiving sluggishness is our response to over-eating. My Black Friday morning meal of breakfast pizza is probably not a cure-all. But, I enjoyed it – and that matters for something, too.

Food myths live on everywhere. Work hard and don’t make excuses. It is worth investigating your assumptions about food and your body’s reactions to it.

Just like Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets (and most didn’t wear helmets at all, according to BBC), your “cure-all” might not be effective and you should re-examine your food choices both before and after a night at Valhalla’s Tables.