'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.