Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Neurotransmitter’s Role in the Brain

When talking about the role of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the brain, it’s more illuminating to talk about what the neurotransmitter prevents as opposed to what it stimulates.

That’s because GABA counteracts the effects of excitatory neurochemicals, preventing over-stimulation and stress reactions.

The result of this natural process is a feeling of calm and emotional balance. Because of what we know about how GABA works in the brain, many people are curious about adding a GABA supplement into a daily supplementation regimen.

Is achieving a mood-balancing state of relaxation and stress-relief as easy as popping a GABA pill? Maybe not. Read on to find out the facts about how this natural amino acid does – and doesn’t – contribute to emotional health.

GABA

GABAergic Supplement

Mood

Sleep

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How It Works:

• Anxiolytic effects to reduce stress
• May improve sleep & anxiety
• Supports fat loss & increases HGH

Dosage:

Between 250 - 1500 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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How Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Works

Neurotransmitters are simply chemicals which deliver information between neurons.

In Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid’s case, this message has a blocking function.

GABA works to offset the impact of excitatory chemicals like Glutamate. It blocks the nerve impulses which are triggered by these chemicals.

By telling these nerves not to fire, the role of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the brain is to produce a calming effect, counter-balancing moments of extreme over-excitement.

GABA is so crucial to overall mental stability that the body produces it in great quantities in the cerebral cortex. When there is a GABA deficiency, disorders such as anxiety, seizures, PMS, some depression symptoms, and even Parkinson’s Disease can result.

While these outcomes are more severe, even light deficiencies of GABA can result in mood swings or headache. For these reasons, it’s obvious why GABA supplementation seems like a valuable therapy that many people may want to try.

Calming Benefits of GABA Supplementation

The science is clear on the many benefits that endogenous Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid delivers. It is a powerful anxiolytic and can quell the panic attacks and rapid thoughts of clinical anxiety. It can perform these same functions for people who are suffering from heavy drug addictions or drug withdrawals.

In fact, the presence of enough GABA in the brain could be one of the factors which allows addicts to find the courage to quit hard drugs.

In healthy minds, GABA can simply have a pleasant tranquilizing effect. It stimulates the production of endorphins, resulting in an overall feeling of physical pleasure and mental peacefulness.

One of the roles of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the brain is also to create ideal conditions for good sleep. It is so tranquilizing that its use has been suggested as a therapy for epileptic attacks.

There is, however, one serious problem with oral GABA supplements. GABA can not cross the blood brain barrier to any great extent.

This means that when ingested as a supplement, the chemical is unable to cross from our circulating blood supply into the cerebral cortex. It is blocked by filters that are specifically designed to prevent excessive concentrations of neurotransmitters in the brain.

For this reason, most GABA supplements which are sold commercially are considered ineffective for the majority of users. However, there are many positive user reports about the effects of GABA supplements.

It is possible that these positive reactions are only due to the placebo effect. However, there are also a few alternative theories on why GABA supplements seem to work for some people.

Blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability, whether naturally or due to conditions such as chronic inflammation (also sometimes referred to as having a “leaky blood-brain barrier”), is an area of current research. One theory therefore is that personal differences in blood-brain barrier permeability may allow supplemental GABA into the brains of some people where it can then have an effect.

Another area of interest is in the connection between the brain and the network of neurons that govern the gastrointestinal tract, known as the enteric nervous system. The theory is that supplemental GABA may not need to directly enter the brain at all, but instead may be able to interact with receptors in the enteric nervous system to cause mental effects.

One supplement that works off of this theory is PharmaGABA. PharmaGABA is natural GABA that is produced by bacteria (as opposed to most GABA supplements that are synthetically produced). In research studies, the activation of GABA receptors in the gut by PharmaGABA has been shown to have effects within the brain. If similar effects are also seen with traditional GABA supplements has not been studied at this time.

Either of these theories would be able to reconcile the current scientific knowledge about GABA supplements with the countless positive user reviews. Research into the different mechanism of action GABA may have in the body is needed, as neither of these theories has been tested in great detail yet.

In the USA Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid is available as a dietary supplement only, and the FDA has not approved GABA as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.

Are There Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Side Effects?

GABA supplements do come with some minor side effects. Though all are considered minimal, the side effects include rapid heart beat, some trouble breathing, or itchiness.

These effects have been duly quantified even if GABA supplements’ positive mental benefits have not yet been confirmed. For many people, this unfortunately means that light side effects may be all you’ll feel if you take GABA pills.

The role of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the brain occurs unimpeded by any side effects at all when it is produced naturally, but once we introduce lab-derived GABA supplements, they may create an imbalance which the body reacts to, hence these small negative effects.

Effective GABA Agonist Supplements

So, is there any way to increase GABA levels in the brain, if GABA supplements cannot? Luckily, the answer is yes.

Of course, food sources are always a great way to introduce healthy compounds into the body. It is thought that some fish, lentils, almonds, bananas, and beef liver can act as pre-cursors to GABA, transforming into the chemical once in the brain under the right conditions.

For a more intense GABA boost, supplementing with a GABA agonist will be the most effective route. A GABA agonist is any compound which is able to cross the blood brain barrier and bond directly with GABA receptors.

These agonists, such as the natural supplements L-Theanine and Lemon Balm, are effective GABA stimulators. They are able to simulate the role of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the brain, and deliver the famous calming effects of GABA.

So, even though GABA supplements may not work well in the body directly, we can capitalize upon our discovery of GABA’s soothing properties in the brain, by activating Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid receptors with other more bioavailable supplements.

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