Linguistic experts say "talking turkey" was defined in an 1859 dictionary as talking in a silly manner, or speaking gobbledygook. By 1889, it was defined as using "high-sounding words, when plain English would do equally well or better."

These days, it means straight talking — telling it like it is.

You wouldn't think turkey could have so many usages, but here's one more: It seems the tryptophan it contains may reduce the risk of a colitis flare, and help with long-term management of inflammatory bowel diseases.

A study in the journal Nature traces the search for something to reduce the inflammation on the inner lining of the colon and intestines that causes colitis' woes. The researchers focused on inflammation-suppressing T-reg cells, which are white blood cells that help regulate the immune system.

They found that when mice with colitis were fed extra tryptophan, they ended up with twice as many inflammation-soothing T-reg cells in their intestinal lining as mice without added intake of tryptophan. This led to a sustained reduction in colitis symptoms.

You can increase your tryptophan intake by eating turkey, chicken, pork, nuts/peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, tofu, and soy. It also can be taken as a supplement.

But if you have an inflammatory bowel disease, such as colitis or Crohn's disease, consult your doctor before adding any supplement, including tryptophan, to your care regimen.