Good Questions: Thanksgiving Exhaustion, Black Friday & Venison
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Every week, we answer your Good Questions. This week, Heather Brown investigates why turkey makes us sleepy, Black Friday shopping and deer meat.
Betty from Bemidji, Kari from Willmar and Nancy from Rosemount all asked: How did Black Friday start?
It started in the 1960s. Philadelphia police officers used the term because of the chaos of the shopping day -- crowded streets and busy traffic.
It wasn't until the 80s that retailers started using the name. They did so because it was the day their balance sheets went from "in the red" to "in the black."
Greg from Bloomington wants to know: Why is deer meat called venison?
Venison comes from the Latin word "venari," which means to hunt or pursue.
Very early on, venison was described as any game animal, but it eventually became restricted to deer.
Finally, Bob from Apple Valley asks: Does turkey make us tired?
Turkey does have an amino acid called tryptophan that produces serotonin, which can promote sleep.
But, that's not it.
We don't eat enough turkey for the tryptophan to have an effect, and tryptophan is in a lot of other meats and dairy products.
Experts say blame too much of all the foods. When we eat a lot, blood flow is directed at the digestion rather than the brain.