Christmas dinner: These two food myths are false, health expert says

The turkey that puts you to sleep and the coffee that reduces the effects of alcohol: although they are false, the myths are not uncommon to hear during family holiday evenings.

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A health professional has dissected the truth behind these myths.

Does turkey make you drowsy?

“It depends on how we want to see the situation,” first declared Christopher Labos, cardiologist associated with the Organization for Science and Society, in an interview with Quebec morning mardi.

Several experts indicate that turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that causes drowsiness, which is more or less true, according to Mr. Labos.

In fact, the amount of tryptophan in a single serving of turkey is not enough to have a clinical effect, he mentioned.

“It’s more the effect of a big meal which will have a drowsy effect,” he said. Also, you have to remember that with the meal, you will drink wine, which also has drowsy effects.

Does coffee reduce drunkenness caused by alcohol?

It is not uncommon to hear your uncle or grandmother offer us coffee after dinner to “sober up.” However, this statement is completely false and even a little dangerous, according to Christopher Labos.

“The metabolism of alcohol is done by the liver, and that follows a zero-order metabolism. That means it's constant. We can’t do anything to speed it up and we can’t do anything to delay it,” he explained.

Caffeine causes the effect of being more awake, but not the effect of being less drunk.

This is therefore dangerous for the expert, since drivers might think that they are fit to get behind the wheel.

This bad habit worries him more among young people, who are more likely to make cocktails mixing alcohol and caffeine, such as Red Bull vodkas.

“This is why Operation Red Nose is very important during the holiday season,” he insisted.

“It's problematic, because they go out, they think they're okay because they have a little caffeine, but they're still drunk. And that’s how we have accidents and how we have harmful effects from this particular myth,” he mentioned.

To watch the full interview, click on the video above.