History Main / FoodComa

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Scientifically, there are a number of reasons why this happens, from activity inside the body to the production of insulin. In fiction, however, a food coma is typically a result of pigging out on food, particularly carbohydrates.

* In an episode of ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'', B.J. notes that while he usually doesn't take naps anymore, he may take one today as his "square meal" he had after the square dance (the episode was all about squares and they added the meal and the dance as sort of a joke) has made him sleepy.

* ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'': The Chamberlain returns to the castle from a LONG and arduous trek after losing Rian only to find his fellow Skeksis have fallen into one of these [[spoiler:after decimating the uprising of the Castle guard and devouring the combined life essence of all the gefling thereof.]]

Scientifically, there are a number of reasons why this happens, from activity inside the body to the production of insulin. In fiction, however, a food coma is typically a result of pigging out on food, particularly fatty foods like meat. There is a biochemical case for this portrayal too; meat contains tons of protein, and when this is broken down, one of the amino acids obtained is tryptophan. This amino acid, among other functions, is crucial for the production of the hormones serotonin - the feel-good hormone - and melatonin. Both hormones are utilised to help you relax and sleep, so it makes sense that eating foods rich in tryptophan would help you drop off.

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* ''ComicStrip/{{Crabgrass}}'': After Miles tries to boycot Thanskgiving but finds no support, he [[https://www.gocomics.com/crabgrass/2023/11/22 tries to eat the turkey by himself]]. He flees when he is caught in the act, but [[https://www.gocomics.com/crabgrass/2023/11/23 quickly falls asleep]] due to the large amount of turkey he ate. He [[https://www.gocomics.com/crabgrass/2023/11/24 even lampshades the trope]] when he wakes up.

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* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': In "The One With All The Thanksgivings", everyone is collapsed into chairs after the meal, groaning from how much they've eaten. They're so lethargic that no-one is willing to reach for the controls to turn the TV on, not even Phoebe, who is right next to them. Although they're all so stuffed they feel they can't eat another bite, Joey is still craving something sweet.

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* In a ''Webcomic/{{Chainsawsuit}}'' [[http://chainsawsuit.com/comic/2013/11/29/the-day-after post-Thanksgiving comic,]] a character suffers a "gastriac arrest", so the doctors have to stabilize him by putting him in a "medically-induced food coma."
* Grace of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' went into a "pancake coma" for a few hours shortly after [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2010-05-12 eating a huge meal]] at a pancake house.
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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''Literature/RalphSMouse'', Ralph eats beans from a mosaic painting, but this makes him sleepy and he falls asleep.

* In the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series of books, this trope is referenced by Smash Ogre, during a story where his intelligence was greatly enhanced by an Eye Queue vine. At one point, he found himself in an unfamiliar area, where there were many things that ogres love to eat. Due to his new intellect, this made him suspicious, and he reflected that if he was still a dumb ogre his instinct would have been to eat all he could, at which point he'd like get drowsy and fall asleep. He decided to not eat anything and stay hungry and alert until he could figure out what was going on.
* Poor [[LazyBum Stuffy Pete]] in the Creator/OHenry short story "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen" qualifies after [[spoiler:he guilt-trips himself into eating two huge Thanksgiving dinners in immediate succession provided by mutually unaware benefactors]].
-->"Around the first corner Stuffy turned, and stood for one minute. Then he seemed to puff out his rags as an owl puffs out his feathers, and fell to the sidewalk like a sunstricken horse."

* In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', there are some aliens who don't use furniture when they eat because they can lie down and take a nap after eating.
* ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'': The Chamberlain returns to the castle from a LONG and arduous trek after losing Rian only to find his fellow Skeksis have fallen into one of these [[spoiler:after decimating the uprising of the Castle guard and devouring the combined life essence of all the gefling thereof.]]
* The ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' tested this in the episode [[ThanksgivingEpisode "Food Fables"]]. The myth that the tryptophan in turkey, traditionally served on [[UsefulNotes/ThanksgivingDay Thanksgiving]], is what makes people sleepy was busted. Tory and Grant were given some tryptophan as a control, its effects were identical to the amount of turkey they ate as well as the mashed potatoes mixed with protein powder (but no tryptophan), which was resulted in this trope. However, when given that same amount of turkey and smaller portions of the other sides, they had plenty of energy to move around.

* Discussed on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', Darlene confesses to almost leaving home after a fight with Roseanne about college. Roseanne indignantly says she's been watching her like a hawk all week, to which Darlene dryly replies, "Hawks don't usually pass out on the couch after eating a quart of ice cream."

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