Thanksgiving is on its way and that means it'll be time for turkey once again. Along with this fall holiday comes the myth that turkey makes us sleepy if we eat it. Some people may claim that the tryptophan in turkey is the culprit, but in reality, it's the overeating that causes the sleepiness. That doesn't mean turkey doesn't affect us. In fact, turkey can be good for us due to its health benefits. Not convinced yet? Well here are three health benefits that turkey has that you’ll be passing up if you pass on turkey.

  • Credit: MSPhotographic/Getty Stock/ThinkStock
    Credit: MSPhotographic/Getty Stock/ThinkStock
    loading...
    1

    Protein

    Turkey is a wonderful source of protein. Do you know why? It’s because our bodies use protein as building materials. Many parts of our bodies need protein to be made and repaired. These parts include our muscles, cartilage, and skin just to name a few.

  • Credit: evgenyb/Getty Stock/ThinkStock
    Credit: evgenyb/Getty Stock/ThinkStock
    loading...
    2

    Cholesterol

    Turkey is a food that helps boost our HDL cholesterol. That might sound bad, but it isn’t. HDL cholesterol is the good kind of cholesterol. It helps to remove LDL cholesterol from our bodies. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol because it can damage our arteries and increase the chances of heart-related health problems like heart attacks.

  • Credit: Fuse/Getty Stock/ThinkStock
    Credit: Fuse/Getty Stock/ThinkStock
    loading...
    3

    Zinc

    Turkey is a source of Zinc. That’s good because our bodies don’t produce this nutrient, so we need to include it in our diet to enjoy the health benefits it brings. There are multiple processes that occur in our bodies that need Zinc to work. For instance, protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, and cell division, just to name a few.

More From SoJO 104.9 FM