Three turkey myths debunked

Nathan Turoff, Critter Columnist

The month of November means four things: Cooler weather, shorter days, Black Friday deals and Thanksgiving.

The most iconic part of any Thanksgiving dinner is arguably the turkey, so in honor of the great Thanksgiving feast, here are 3 common myths about the turkey:

  • Ben Franklin advocated for the Turkey as our national Bird- Somewhat false

While it is true that Franklin was no fan of the Bald Eagle and thought the Turkey was a more “respectable bird”, he never directly stated that he preferred a turkey over an eagle for the national seal. He actually advocated for a more biblical national seal, featuring Moses at the Red Sea.

  • Dark Meat is bad for you- Somewhat false. 

While it is true that white meat has less fat and calories, dark meat has larger amounts of Iron and Vitamin B.

  • Eating Turkey makes you tired- Mostly false.

It is true that there is an Amino Acid found in Turkeys that our body uses to make sleep hormones, but there is nowhere near enough of it to induce drowsiness in humans. You most likely get sleepy from getting so full.

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