Some GABA Basics
Posted by DS DC on Sep 19th 2022
Understanding some basics about GABA will help you choose foods and supplements that will help optimize this essential neurotransmitter so you can have more energy during the day and sleep better at night.
You remember that neurons talk to each other through chemical note-passing called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters can be excitatory or inhibitory. Most are excitatory and stimulate activity in the target neuron. A few are inhibitory decreasing activity in the target neurons.
GABA Is Inhibitory
GABA is the principle inhibitory neuron in mammals. Many neurotransmitters are amino acid based and so is GABA.
Because GABA is the principle inhibitory neurotransmitter, the brain relies on it to modulate many pathways. Lack of GABA or inefficient GABA management can lead to some pathways running somewhat out of control leading to symptoms such as anxiety or panic attacks or a racing brain when you are trying to sleep.
GABA Important For Sleep
Sleep is critical for brain health and you can search blog.ovitaminpro.com for articles about sleep and GABA management is important for healthy sleep and we know that much GABA support is in search of good sleep. I don’t want to gloss over that here and direct you to other blogs where we talk more about sleep specifically.
Embryonic Brain Requires GABA
One interesting side note is that GABA is instrumental in the growth and development of the embryonic brain.
Take Steps To Decrease Inflammation
Why might a person have GABA issues? Inflammation of the brain can lead to a decrease in GABA production and/or reduced GABA management. We recommend taking the usual steps to help prevent brain inflammation. Everybody needs omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D unless proven otherwise. According to many researchers EVERYONE with any kind of brain problem should be evaluated for gluten sensitivity. I concur. Anti-gluten antibodies can alter brain blood flow, alter some enzyme function among other things. The brain can begin to heal on a gluten-free diet for many people.
Supplements Can Help
Fortunately, we can use supplements to improve GABA supplies and performance. Some sources suggest that GABA taken as a supplement by itself in a capsule or tablet isn’t that effective because it supposedly doesn’t readily cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). A closer look at these studies makes that opinion questionable. Plus many people report the calming effect of taking GABA and this may be due in part to actions on the enteric nerve system, that is the division of the nerve system dedicated the digestive tract. If you find that taking GABA as a supplement is helpful for you, continue to use it.
We Can’t Just Take a GABA Precursor
So why not just take a precursor to GABA? This is an often-used strategy to improve serotonin levels as we can give a person tryptophan or 5-HTP that can be converted to serotonin. The precursor to GABA is glutamate which is a very excitatory neurotransmitter. The brain usually has plenty of glutamate around already and is just having trouble converting glutamate to GABA due to genetic problems, anti-gluten antibodies or inflammation mentioned earlier.
L-Theanine Helps GABA Production and Response
L-theanine is often recommended to help improve GABA production and GABA response in the brain. Another way to say this is L-theanine helps improve the brain’s use of any GABA available and helps activate the brain’s GABA receptors. The beauty of using theanine is that you can get calming while increasing alertness. Often calming comes with some sedation to getting the L-theanine calm with actual increase in alertness is a plus. L-theanine also binds to glutamate receptors, blocking some of the glutamate activity. Glutamate is a highly excitatory neurotransmitter and in a healthy brain is readily converted to GABA as the brain needs it. By binding to these glutamate receptors, the glutamate in the brain will have a harder time producing its excitatory effects.
Valerian Helps GABA Management
Valerian can also help with GABA management. The name for valerian comes from the Latin valere which means to be strong or to be healthy. The French name for valerian was “cures all”. This just means that valerian was a very respected part of the treatment arsenal of healers for many, many years.
Valerian helps increase GABA by slowing GABA breakdown. Therefore, the GABA that your body can make can be more effective as it stays around longer with valerian. Look for help with things like ADHD, stable blood pressure, reduced anxiety and all without the serious side effects of prescription drugs marketed to treat such things.
Phenibut and Picamilon
I will briefly mention two compounds that were developed to effectively get GABA into the brain, picamilon and phenibut. Neither is currently available in the US but can be found without prescription in some countries so you might check in your country or the country you might traveling to for example. At the time of this writing, England was still allowing sales of picamilon without a prescription. I also mention these as we hope that the FDA will have a change of heart. It probably won’t happen with the current head of the FDA but these things can change.
Some recommended supplements are:
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