Overview
GABA: if there ever was a “feel-good” amino acid, this is it.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid plays an
important role in regulating the activity of nerve cells. It is the
chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system
and in the retina, and can also be excitatory under some circumstances.
As a supplement, GABA has received less attention from medical researchers than it deserves. Some usages of GABA are supported
by clinical studies, but many interesting and valid applications have never been investigated scientifically.
GABA supplementation has been shown to be effective for:
- stimulating the pituitary gland to secrete more Human Growth Hormone
- Increasing protein synthesis in brain, muscle, and liver
- inducing relaxation
- reducing anxiety
- enhancing immunity during stress
- reducing high blood pressure
- increasing blood insulin levels.
In addition, the following actions are suggested by indirect scientific evidence:
- improve schizophrenic symptoms
- promote loss of excess body fat
- build muscle.
As for GABA usages that have not been investigated scientifically, we have reports from users to support these applications:
- anti-aging: making users look and feel youthful and energetic
- improving the skin, darkening the hair
- inducing sleep and improving its quality
- causing more interesting, vivid dreaming
- diminishing arthritis pain and lower back pain
- reducing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
- controlling hypoglycemia
- suppressing appetite
- reducing premenstrual symptoms
- alleviating some types of depression.
Read GABA Monograph
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid that does not get incorporated into proteins, but instead plays an important
role in regulating the activity of nerve cells. It is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and in the retina, and can also be excitatory under some circumstances.
GABA
is closely related to another biomolecule called GHB
(gamma-hydroxybutyrate); GABA and GHB are interconvertible in the
brain. GHB was a very useful and inexpensive supplement for promoting
relaxation and sleep until it was foolishly banned in the U.S. and
other countries as part of the fiasco known as the ‘War-On-Drugs’. GHB,
unlike GABA, readily crosses the blood-brain barrier; once in the
brain, GHB is converted into GABA which then calms over-excited nerves.
Since GABA crosses the blood-brain barrier less easily than GHB, larger
doses are required to achieve the same goals.
The Wikipedia offers a good overview of GABA and its actions in the body. A less technical review from IronMagazine is also useful despite its uncritical acceptance of government-spawned propaganda about GHB.
What we can’t tell you
In
the U.S. and some other industrialized countries, government agencies
like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have adopted censorship as a
method for intensifying their control over the supplement industry and
its customers. Thus, FDA regulations prohibit us from telling you that
any of our products are effective as medical treatments, even if they are, in fact, effective.
Accordingly, we will limit our discussion of GABA to a brief summary of relevant research, and let you draw your own conclusions
about what medical conditions it may be effective in treating.
As
a supplement, GABA has received less attention from medical researchers
than it deserves. The handful of scientifically conducted clinical
trials that have been conducted since 1980 have reported positive
results with certain usages of GABA, but many interesting applications
have never been investigated scientifically.
GABA supplementation has been shown to be effective for:
- stimulating the pituitary gland to secrete more Human Growth Hormone
- Increasing protein synthesis in brain, muscle, and liver
- inducing relaxation
- reducing anxiety
- enhancing immunity during stress
- reducing high blood pressure
- increasing blood insulin levels
In addition to the directly demonstrated actions listed above, the following actions are suggested by indirect scientific
evidence:
- improve schizophrenic symptoms
- promote loss of excess body fat
- build muscle
And then there are the GABA usages that have never been properly investigated scientifically. For these we have to rely on
anecdotal evidence:
- anti-aging
- making users feel youthful and energetic
- improving the skin
- darkening hair
- inducing sleep
- improving the quality of sleep
- causing more interesting, vivid dreaming
- diminishing arthritis pain and lower back pain
- reducing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
- controlling hypoglycemia
- suppressing appetite
- reducing premenstrual symptoms
- alleviating some types of depression
Let us briefly look at the evidence for several of the above applications of GABA.
Growth hormone production
Growth
hormone levels have a positive impact on mood, energy, tissue repair,
and muscle growth. Declines in the body’s production of growth hormone
are associated with declines in the body’s health, youth, and vigor.
Conversely, increases in growth hormone production can often improve
the one’s mental and physical condition.
A clinical trial in 1980 showed that a single 5-gram oral dose of GABA caused a five-fold increase in blood levels of growth
hormone. Increasing the dose to 18 g/day for several days, however, resulted in a smaller effect. According to a 1994 study, a similar situation occurs in sheep given intravenous injections of GABA: a 10-mg dose produces
a significant rise in growth hormone levels, but a 100-mg dose actually inhibits the release of growth hormone.
Reducing anxiety
In
a study in 2006, acrophobic subjects (who fear heights) were asked to
cross a suspended bridge as a stressful stimulus. Those who had been
given GABA an hour prior to the test showed a marked increase in
immunoglobin-A levels in their saliva (an indicator of mental
relaxation), compared to those who had been given a placebo.
Anecdotal reports give the impression that for some people GABA works well to reduce anxiety, while for others it does not.
The only way to find out if it will work for you is to try it.
Lowering blood pressure
In
a 2003 clinical trial, 39 ‘mildly hypertensive’ patients were given a
GABA-fortified milk product. After 2-4 weeks, a decrease of about 17
mmHg systolic and 7 mmHg diastolic blood pressure occurred and was
maintained throughout the 12-week study.
Increasing insulin
A clinical study in 1982 examined insulin levels in the blood of subjects given a single oral dose of GABA. A dosage of 5
g caused a significant rise in blood insulin levels.
Conclusion
Are GABA supplements useful for the conditions and purposes mentioned above? We aren’t allowed to tell you, so you should
take a look at some of the references cited here, and then decide for yourself.
References
[1] Glutamate inhibits GABA excitatory activity in developing neurons. J Neurosci. 1998 Dec 15; 18(24):10749-61 van den Pol AN, Gao XB, Patrylo PR, Ghosh PK, Obrietan K
[2] Gamma-aminobutyric acid Wikipedia online encyclopedia
[3] GABA
[4] Effect of acute and repeated administration of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) on growth hormone and prolactin secretion in
man. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh). 1980 Feb; 93(2):149-54 Cavagnini F, Invitti C, Pinto M, Maraschini C, Di Landro A, Dubini A, Marelli A
[5] Dietary gamma-aminobutyric acid affects the brain protein synthesis rate in young rats. Amino Acids. 2007 Feb; 32(2):255-60 Tujioka K, Okuyama S, Yokogoshi H, Fukaya Y, Hayase K, Horie K, Kim M
[6] Relaxation and immunity enhancement effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration in humans. Biofactors. 2006; 26(3):201-8 Abdou AM, Higashiguchi S, Horie K, Kim M, Hatta H, Yokogoshi H
[7] Blood-pressure-lowering effect of a novel fermented milk containing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in mild hypertensives. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Mar; 57(3):490-5 Inoue K, Shirai T, Ochiai H, Kasao M, Hayakawa K, Kimura M, Sansawa H
[8] Effects of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and muscimol on endocrine pancreatic function in man. Metabolism. 1982 Jan; 31(1):73-7 Cavagnini F, Pinto M, Dubini A, Invitti C, Cappelletti G, Polli EE
[9] GABA and schizophrenia: a review of basic science and clinical studies. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2003 Dec; 23(6):601-40 Wassef A, Baker J, Kochan LD
[10] Chronic inhibition of GABA transaminase results in activation of thermogenesis and brown fat in the rat. Gen Pharmacol. 1988; 19(3):403-5 Horton R, Rothwell NJ, Stock MJ
[11] Neuroendocrine regulation of growth hormone secretion in sheep. VII. Effects of GABA. Regul Pept. 1994 Aug 4;52(3):181-6 Spencer GS, Berry CJ, Bass JJ
