Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
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This weekend is a for family gatherings, giving thanks, and of course, enormous meals. The tradition is the same every year; everyone is having a great time talking and eating, but somewhere between giving thanks and getting a second helping of pumpkin pie, it suddenly hits- the food coma. This is not an uncommon event, but if food is supposed to give energy, why do we feel more tired after eating?
In medical terms, food coma is known as postprandial somnolence and it is a phenomenon where people feel a lack of mental energy after a large meal. This is caused by several factors. For starters, holiday meals are usually filled with high-calorie and high-fat content foods. As the helpings pile up, so does our blood flow to the digestive system to help with dilation and expansion of our intestines. As a result, less blood is being sent to the rest of the body’s system, making the rest of the system feel a slowdown.
At the same time that blood is flowing to the digestive system, the small intestine is signalling activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the body to slow down and digest. Thus, the more food we eat, the harder the small intestine is working, resulting in a large concentration of the body’s activities around the digestive region.
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Finally, the food itself can make us sleepy as well. The main culprit is sugar because as sugar breaks down into glucose, our body secretes the hormone insulin. Insulin helps maintain and counter the increase of glucose level by mopping up the excess glucose in the blood. As the level of insulin increases, it also produces serotonin and melatonin- two chemicals that can leave us feel drowsy and sleepy.
With this much activity going on in our bodies, no wonder we feel like taking a nap after our turkey dinner! Just make sure you complete all of your assignments and finish all of your studying before the big feast, because once that coma hits, you won’t be hitting the books for at least another hour!
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Post published by: Deborah Lo
References:
Greatist: “What Am I Tired After Eating a Big Meal?” – http://greatist.com/health/why-am-i-tired-after-eating-a-big-meal/ (accessed October 6, 2012)
Indiana Public Media: “The Science of the Siesta” – http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/the-science-of-the-siesta-2/ (accessed October 6, 2012)
Scientific American: “Why do I get a slump in mental energy after eating a meal?” – http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-i-get-a-slump-in-mental-energy (accessed October 6, 2012)
