Friday, January 4, 2008

Research News: Researchers pop health myths

The News:
Researchers pop health myths
By Susan BrinkLos Angeles Times
Article Last Updated: 12/31/2007 03:09:28 PM MST
Eating turkey makes you sleepy. It's the bird's tryptophan, an amino acid, that makes you want to take a nap. Right? Wrong, say Dr. Rachel Vreeman, research fellow, and Dr. Aaron Carroll, director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism, both at Indiana University School of Medicine. They examined that and six other commonly held beliefs. They found that turkey, chicken and ground beef each contain about the same amount of tryptophan per ounce, and pork and Swiss cheese actually contain higher levels. Any large meal slows blood flow and oxygenation to the brain, inducing sleepiness, they found. They gathered a list of medical beliefs held by their fellow physicians, then subjected seven of them to scientific review.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the British Medical Journal.

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