What are the Health Benefits of Eating Turkey?

Thanksgiving Turkey!Yes, I am sorry to report that the Food of the Month is not ā€œstuffing.ā€ Cuz who doesnā€™t love stuffing? However, as yummy as it is, it is definitely not a nutrient-dense, health-building food. So letā€™s talk turkey. Folks, protein is the building block of the body. A moderate 4-ounce serving of turkey has about 35 grams of high-quality protein, as well as lots of heart-healthy potassium, plenty of phosphorus, and small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and iron. Gobble, gobble! (Yes, thatā€™s a punā€¦a fairly lame one, but feel free to chuckle.)

Turkey Meat Good For You?

And check this out. Four ounces of turkey breast meat has about 30 mcg of selenium and the dark meat has about 45 mcg! The RDI for selenium is 70 mcg, but 200 mcg is a good target for optimal health. The almighty mineral selenium is a powerful antioxidant and is associated with lower rates of cancer. Turkey is also a great source of niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and zinc. Holy nutritional bonanza, Batman!

Turkey Fat

Turkey fat is mostly comprised of the heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, and if youā€™re a long-time Warren Wellness community member, at this point you understand that fat is not the enemy. Certain types of fat donā€™t serve us, but itā€™s not the ones that are harped on by our mainstream sound bytes. Turkey has happy fat!

Can You Fall Asleep After Eating Turkey?

Urban legend alert: No, you do not get tired and fall asleep after Thanksgiving dinner because of the tryptophan (an amino acid) in turkey. Truth be told, 4 ounces of yummy, juicy turkey contains less than half a gram of tryptophan. Thereā€™s actually more tryptophan in ham. You get tired and fall asleep because you have just gorged yourself with food and drink. The combination of all the blood leaving your head to migrate to the digestive tract, and the sedating effect of alcoholā€¦thatā€™s what actually knocks you out!

Do You Really Want Turkey?

Something for you to decide.

About the writer – by Laurie Warren, Nutritionist, Warren Wellness, Medfield, MA

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