How To Increase GABA Levels Naturally in the Brain

There are several ways to naturally increase GABA levels in the brain.

GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an amino acid that serves primarily as a neurotransmitter, but is also imperative for various other functions throughout the body.

Like all neurotransmitters, GABA is a chemical produced in the brain which accommodates communication between neurons inside the brain.

Neurotransmitters regulate mood, perception, sleep, and the actions of various body systems. There are excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters inside the brain that work together to maintain balance. Gamma-aminobutyric acid is the brain’s strongest inhibitory or depressive neurotransmitter.

GABA prevents over-excitement and hyperactivity while sedating the brain at the end of the night to allow for the onset of sleep.

Although GABA deficiencies are not common, knowing how to increase GABA via the diet and lifestyle may be useful for people with anxiety, sleep disorders, and stress.

Increased levels of GABA may also help promote relaxation, enhance mental focus, and maintain internal rhythms for repair and growth of cells.

GABA

GABAergic Supplement

Mood

Sleep

Body- building

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

Top GABA Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Benefits of Increased GABA Levels

For individuals with low GABA levels in the brain, increasing the availability of this neurotransmitter may improve certain factors related to health and mood.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a neuroamine that prevents the over-stimulation of brain circuits when necessary.

If you have a GABA deficiency or another condition that affects the normal function of this brain system, then you may experience abnormal heart rhythms, hyperexcitation, overly-elevated moods, anxiety, insomnia, and more.

There are some symptoms of low GABA that are more prevalent than others, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and drug/alcohol dependence.

Depression and Low GABA Levels

Individuals diagnosed with depression often have lower levels of GABA in their brains compared to controls. Depressed individuals who are resistant to conventional depression therapies are likely to have the lowest GABA levels.

Extremely low levels have been reported in teenagers diagnosed with a condition called anhedonia. This condition is characterized by having no capacity for experiencing pleasure, even with acts which are very normally associated with pleasure, like sex.

Raising GABA Levels for Anxiety

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks, and chronic anxiety are also commonly experienced as symptoms of low GABA levels in the brain. These symptoms are effectively combated via administration of benzodiazepine drugs which increase GABAergic activity.

It has been observed that people who experience PTSD have much lower GABA levels than do those who move on past the traumas more quickly. Similarly, it is known that GABA is lower in those with panic disorders than in those without them. Naturally raising GABA levels may reduce the risk of anxiety episodes and improve symptoms of social anxiety.

GABA and Sleep Disorders/Insomnia

If you experience long-term insomnia, then you potentially have low GABA levels. It has been shown that GABA deficiencies affect sleeping patterns.

As stated, Gamma-aminobutyric acid helps to regulate body rhythms, like heart beating, hunger, sleeping and others. It works with the parasympathetic nervous system to accommodate passive biologic actions that are integral to life, including sleep.

For those experiencing insomnia as a result of such a deficiency, magnesium supplementation is recommended. Also herbal extracts of valerian root, lemon balm, chamomile and passionflower seem to be increase GABA levels and activity in the brain.

Effects on Drug and Alcohol Dependence and low GABA

Gamma-aminobutyric acid plays important roles in the actions of alcohol, and in the addiction potential of certain individuals.

It is particularly implicated as a factor responsible for addiction to alcohol. Alcohol works by stimulating GABA-B receptors in the brain, causing a depressive effect on the nervous system.

It also is believed to affect a person’s propensity to smoke tobacco products, and to become addicted to various prescription and/or illicit drugs. Chronic marijuana and cocaine users are known to have low GABA levels in the brain.

Prescription drug and natural botanical remedies for increasing Gamma-aminobutyric acid are sometimes used to help addicts from relapsing during recovery periods.

How to Increase GABA Levels

GABA is made from the neurotransmitter Glutamate in the brain. To increase levels of GABA through the diet, it is important to eat glutamate-rich food sources. Foods that are high in glutamate include bananas, halibut, almonds, oranges, lentils, oats, rice bran, potatoes, walnuts, and spinach to name several.

In addition to eating foods which are high in glutamate, you may also increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, magnesium and the amino acids L-Theanine and Taurine. Also, various herbal substances either help to increase GABA naturally, or interact with GABA receptors similarly to natural GABA, including Valerian, Lemon Balm, and others.

It is possible to directly take GABA capsules as an oral supplement, however there is debate over the effectiveness of these supplements for increasing GABA levels in the brain. It has been shown that this amino acid does not normally penetrate the Blood-Brain Barrier when it is administered orally.

This means that if you take GABA in pill form, the chemical may not actually be able to reach your brain where it is needed to produce an anti-anxiety response.

However many people have written reviews online about having a positive experience with GABA when used for anxiety, depression, and sleep issues. It is possible that these positive effects are due to the placebo effect, however there are also alternative theories of why supplemental GABA may work.

There is a theory that there may be personal differences in blood-brain barrier permeability (whether naturally or due to conditions such as chronic inflammation) which may allow supplemental GABA into the brains of some people. Additionally, some experts argue that even if supplemental GABA cannot cross the Blood-Brain Barrier, it may still elicit a sedative response by interacting with GABA receptors in other areas of the body, such as the enteric nervous system in the gastrointestinal tract.

Both of these theories could reconcile the current scientific knowledge of GABA not being able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause an effect, with the many anecdotal reports of supplemental GABA having positive effects. However, these theories have not been proven at this point, and would be good areas for future research.

Finally, maintaining consistently adequate hydration levels, and engaging in holistic exercises like yoga are believed to elevate Gamma-aminobutyric acid levels.

Knowing how to increase GABA levels naturally can help your mind to function more optimally, reduce stress, improve sleep, and more.

Rate This Article

(26 votes, average: 3.65 out of 5, rated)