What is GABA and what are its benefits?

Veröffentlicht am: October 29, 2024
Dr. med. Wolfgang Bachmann
Dr. med. Wolfgang Bachmann

General practitioner

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Its task is to calm the neurons (brain cells) and thus protect our brain from overstimulation.

Aminobutyric acid is formed in the brain and is active in almost all areas. Taking GABA supplements is particularly recommended if you want to improve your sleep and mood.

In this guide, we explain how taking GABA can improve your mood and health in four different ways.

Contents

How does GABA influence our sleep?

➤ Did you know that the hypothalamus in our brain is responsible for the sleep-wake cycle?

 

This is also exactly the area where our GABA receptors are located. GABA lowers the activity of the neurons in our brain and enables our body and mind to relax and fall asleep. In addition, the substance helps us to sleep through the night undisturbed and enter a state of deep relaxation. If the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid is too low, this can lead to sleep disorders and insomnia.

In one study, scientists found that GABA levels in patients with insomnia were almost 30 percent lower than in subjects without this sleep disorder. This low GABA level was also associated with restless sleep with frequent awakenings.

The mode of action of some herbal preparations is based on the fact that they increase the activity of GABA. Magnesium is an important mineral and an important GABA agonist. This means that it attaches itself to the GABA receptors and activates them in the same way as GABA. This not only helps to stimulate the receptors and supports the function of the substance, but also strengthens the cell membranes.

Can GABA help with stress, anxiety and depression?

GABA signals the body to calm down. When you are anxious, your brain cells overreact and become excessively active. This is comparable to a child eating too much sugar.

Certain neurons are considered GABAnic neurons, release GABA and calm these hyperneurons.

 

➤ Your body produces and regulates GABA naturally. However, sometimes it malfunctions, causing GABA levels to drop and anxiety, depression and insomnia to increase.

 

Chronic stress leads to an increase in cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline levels in the brain and body. As a result, the body produces more stimulating glutamate and less GABA.

An increased release of glutamate in the brain leads to overexcitation of the brain cells. In addition, the stress hormones increase cell activity, which in turn leads to an overproduction of free radicals. The result is damage to the brain cells and an even greater reduction in GABA production.

 

➤ If stressful situations persist over a longer period of time, this leads to a rewiring of the brain cells and a functional deficit in GABA production. 

 

A change in lifestyle and the intake of GABA supplements then contribute over time to the brain cells reconnecting and GABA being effectively formed and utilized in the brain.

How does GABA influence athletic performance?

GABA leads to an increase in human growth hormone in the body and can therefore contribute to more muscle mass and strength. It also reduces the amount of fat in the body, which makes physical activity easier. The increase in growth hormone goes hand in hand with more muscle mass.

 

➤ Athletes can therefore benefit from taking GABA. The same applies to people who do heavy physical work.

 

GABA supplements can cause an increase in human growth hormone in the body, leading to more muscle mass and faster recovery. Athletes who want to gain more size and strength to gain an advantage in their respective sport - or simply to be stronger - can benefit from taking the supplement.

As we age, our bodies produce less and less growth hormone, making it increasingly difficult to gain strength and power. People in their mid-40s should therefore consider taking GABA supplements to maintain their physique.

How does GABA help with diabetes?

➤ Research results from UCLA indicate that GABA reduces inflammation in the pancreas. This is crucial for insulin production and therefore for a stable blood sugar level. People with high blood sugar levels and an increased risk of developing diabetes can benefit from taking gamma-aminobutyric acid.

 

Two studies published in EBioMedicine by an international research team from Uppsala University underline the importance of the neurotransmitter beta-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

GABA is synthesized by an enzyme called GAD from the amino acid glutamate in nerve cells, but also in the insulin-producing beta cells in pancreatic islets. GAD exists in two forms: GAD65 and GAD67. In type 1 diabetes, beta cells are destroyed, while type 2 diabetes is associated with impaired beta cell function and insulin resistance. Diabetics (type 1) often have antibodies against GAD65.

Until recently, scientists were unable to prove a link between GABA and type 2 diabetes. This has now been successfully proven and researchers have been able to show that GABA is important for the maintenance and possibly also for the production of new beta cells.

These new studies strengthen the role of GABA in the treatment of diabetes (type 1 and type 2). The scientists used ion channels that open GABA as a biological sensor for GABA and were thus able to determine the effective, physiological GABA concentrations in human pancreatic islet cells. They also showed that these ion channels react more sensitively to GABA in type 2 diabetes and that the substance contributes to the regulation of insulin secretion.

The scientists then isolated immune cells from human blood and investigated the effects of GABA on these cells. They discovered that GABA prevented these cells from releasing large quantities of pro-inflammatory molecules.

How should GABA be taken?

  •  To promote sleep, for stress and anxiety: 100-200 mg and more (in scientific studies). The individual dose and duration of intake varies from person to person.
  • Athletes who notice a decline in performance due to ageing should take GABA daily.
  • On average, two to three grams of GABA before strenuous physical activity is sufficient to significantly increase the amount of growth hormones in the body. This also boosts performance. More growth hormones in the body mean that it recovers more quickly from exertion and you can therefore train much more often.
  • People with high blood sugar levels and an increased risk of developing diabetes (due to their weight or family history) can protect themselves by taking 1,000 to 1,500 mg of the amino acid daily.

 

Sources (in English):

Mazzoli, M. & Pessione E. (2016). The Neuro-endocrinological Role of Microbial Glutamate and GABA Signaling. Frontiers in Micorbiology, 7: 1934, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01934

Cryan, J. F. & Kaupmann, K. (2005, January). Don't worry 'B' happy!: a role for GABA(B) receptors in anxiety and depression. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 26(1):36-43, doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2004.11.004

Kumar, K., Sharma, S., Kumar, P. & Deshmukh, R. (2013, September). Therapeutic potential of GABA(B) receptor ligands in drug addiction, anxiety, depression and other CNS disorders. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and behavior, 110:174-84, doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.07.003

Abdou, A. M., Higashiguchi, S., Horie, K., Kim, M., Hatta, H. & Yokogoshi, H. (2006). Relaxation and immunity enhancement effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration in humans. BioFactors, 26(3):201-8

Lydiard, R. B. (2003). The role of GABA in anxiety disorders. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64 Suppl 3:21-7

Kalueff, A. V. & Nutt, D. J. (2007). Role of GABA in anxiety and depression. Depression and Anxiety, 24(7):495-517, doi: 10.1002/da.20262

Plante, D. T., Jensen, J. E. & Winkelman, J. W. (2012, June). The role of GABA in primary insomnia. Sleep, 11: 165–175, doi: 10.2147/NDT.S58841

Gottesmann, C. (2002). GABA mechanisms and sleep. Neuroscience, 111(2):231-9

Candelario, M., Cuellar, E., Reyes-Ruiz, J. M., Darabedian, N., Feimeng, Z., Miledi, R. et al. (2015, August). Direct evidence for GABAergic activity of Withania somnifera on mammalian ionotropic GABAA and GABAρ receptors. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 171:264-72, doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.05.058

Nathan, P. J., Lu, K., Gray, M. & Oliver, C. (2006). The neuropharmacology of L-theanine(N-ethyl-L-glutamine): a possible neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing agent. Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, 6(2):21-30