/oss/taxonomy/term/2857/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/turkey-doesnt-makes-you-sleepy <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/facts-and-fiction-of-physiological-phenomena-food-for-thought/">The Skeptical Inquirer</a>.</em></p> <hr /> <p>You may have heard the post-meal sleepies explained by the fact that turkey contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that’s a biochemical precursor for serotonin and melatonin, two things that can make us feel tired. This is technically true, but some other facts can help put the turkey claims into context and better explain our need to nap after a bird-heavy meal.</p> Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9884 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/cranberry-ups-and-downs <p>It used to be that when you mentioned “cranberries,” people thought of turkeys and their taste buds.  Today, they are as likely to think of their bladders because just about everyone has heard stories about how cranberry juice is supposed to prevent, or even treat, urinary tract infections.  Does it?  How would one find out?  Well, researchers at Yale University designed a pretty clever experiment.  They collected urine from three volunteers and then gave them 4 ounces of cranberry juice to drink.  Four to six hours later they again collected urine, after which they repeated the experiment </p> Fri, 24 Nov 2017 20:50:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz, PhD 6831 at /oss