Food coma

Food coma is a slang term for the lethargic state induced by overindulgence in carbohydrate-laden food. A biological mechanism known as the shell-core effect causes the circulatory system to redirect bloodflow from the extremities to vital core-level processes (i.e., regulating core body temperature). As a result, the brain's intake of oxygenated blood is restricted so that the stomach can metabolize large quantities of complex carbohydrates.

The proper medical terminology for this concept is postprandial hypotension.

In African American Vernacular English, this phenomenon is known as the itis.