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Turning to Turkey’s Tryptophan to Boost Mood? Not so Fast

Every Thanksgiving, myths of the quasi-magical powers of tryptophan rise again. There’s the turkey/drowsiness myth: Eating lots of juicy turkey meat supposedly makes people feel tired because it contains an amino acid called tryptophan. This molecule travels into the brain, where it’s converted into a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which in...

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