SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) The day after Thanksgiving is called “black Friday” because that’s the day retailers try to get back in the black. They offer low, low prices to entice people to buy, buy, and buy! But a new study conducted by the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah shows what you eat before you head out the door can help you avoid making impulse purchases.
Arul Mishra co-authored the study. She says those who clamor for the midnight door opening have not eaten turkey or mashed potatoes. “What we predict from our research is, if people have had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner they won’t be standing in line in the first place.” That’s because she says, many of these eager shoppers are impulse buyers, and research shows the turkey, potato eating crowd are feeling the effects of tryptophan, found in turkey, and that keeps them from being impulsive. “Food, especially turkey, when consumed with carbohydrates like mashed potatoes increases the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain.”
Serotonin, created by the turkey tryptophan effect, appears to make us more rational. “People would be less likely to buy something available impulsively. So, if you see something available at a deep discount you are less likely to buy those products.”
But, the secret to making better shopping decisions is not just in the turkey. Hismanshu Mishra, study co-author, says “turkey alone won’t help. So you need to have other carbohydrates along with the turkey and they can help enhance the serotonin.”
He also says turkey is not the only source of tryptophan. There are also high levels in soybeans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and dairy products. “It’s not just turkey and the heavy carbohydrate, there are a bunch of other foods that we can consume, for instance protein shakes, which have levels of tryptophan that can help enhance the level of serotonin.”
They say, all of those foods could help you keep your budget in the black on black Friday as long as you consume them at least two hours before heading off to the mall.
