Mental health issues are on the rise in Canada, and so is the demand for supplements that calm and lift the mood. If you’re looking for a natural way to relieve feelings of anxiety, you should know about Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid or GABA.
GABA is one of the most reputable “mood” supplements, with significant benefits for mental health.
In this article, you’ll learn what GABA is, what happens when your body doesn’t have enough GABA, and some things to think about if you are considering taking a GABA supplement.
We’ll also point you to a GABA supplement in Canada.
GABA is an amino acid synthesized from glutamate.
It’s also the primary “inhibitory neurotransmitter” in the central nervous system. Let’s break down what that means.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry information between nerve cells or from nerve cells to other parts of the body. Neurons transmit these messages in the brain.
“Inhibitory” neurotransmitters inhibit or stop neurons from transmitting messages. They block certain impulses between nerve cells in the brain and decrease some types of activity in your nervous system.
While “inhibitory” sounds negative, it can be to our benefit. For example, when we’re triggered to feel anxiety, that anxious response could fire through our nervous system unimpeded without neurotransmitters like GABA.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters essentially dampen a response — much like throwing a wet blanket on a fire.
It works like this:
The blocking activity takes only a few milliseconds, but it can significantly affect the mind and body. GABA can calm your nerves, lower anxiety levels, and make it easier for you to process and organize the information coming in from your senses.
Yes, GABA levels in the brain can be lower than “normal.”
“What causes low GABA levels? While it’s not entirely known, it may be that a combination of factors like genetics, prolonged stress, not having time to exercise, a lack of certain nutrients, and poor gut health contribute to decreased levels of GABA.”
From ObjectiveWellness.com, How to Increase GABA: 5 Ways to Boost Your Brain’s Calming Chemical
Research has linked low levels of GABA (and problems with GABA signaling) to several mental and physical disorders.
If your body doesn’t release GABA properly, it can affect mental health. Low GABA contributes to disorders of the nervous system and brain. Insufficient GABA activity may play a role in:
Problems with GABA activity (either too much or too little) can contribute to physical disorders like:
There are some foods that contain GABA, but scientists are still debating whether GABA you ingest can cross the blood-brain barrier. Here are a few of the foods that contain GABA:
Additionally, there are some foods you can eat that support the production of GABA in your brain.
Your brain produces GABA from glutamate, an amino acid. These foods contain a high concentration of glutamate:
Vitamin B6 also helps your brain synthesize GABA, so you can increase your intake of vitamin B by taking a supplement or eating more of these foods:
A great deal of drug manufacturing research targets GABA and GABA receptors. After all, GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
Medications that activate GABA receptors or increase receptor sensitivity to GABA can decrease abnormally high excitement levels in the brain. This group of drugs includes common tranquilizers like Ativan, Xanax, and Valium and sedatives like Quaaludes and barbital.
GABA analogs like Lyrica and Gabapentin, which are structurally similar to GABA, are prescribed to treat neuropathic pain and migraines, calm anxiety disorders, and lower the risk of seizures.
There are also GABA drugs, including Gabapentin and Xanax.
Prescription medications to regulate GABA may be necessary for anyone diagnosed with a mental health disorder. We are grateful that medications are available for these conditions.
However, every medication comes with risks and side effects, and not everyone is a candidate for a GABA-related drug.
For example, if you have mild anxiety, together with your doctor, you may decide to look for natural alternatives to GABA drugs.
A GABA supplement may be enough to boost your mood and downgrade anxiety.
Ask your doctor whether a supplement is a better option for you before trying a prescription GABA drug. Many MDs are very open to non-pharmaceutical therapies, and your doctor can help you determine whether a supplement is right for you.
Researchers previously thought that ingested GABA supplements could not cross the blood-brain barrier, making GABA supplements ineffective for treating GABA-related disorders.
But new research suggests that GABA may be able to cross this important barrier, after all.
GABA supplements do show some early promise in small initial studies. And although we do need more evidence, there are several potential benefits of taking GABA as a supplement.
GABA supplements may:
GABA supplements are primarily sold in capsule and pill forms, but you may also see GABA sold as a powder.
Natural Calm Sleep is a powdered magnesium citrate supplement that contains L-theanine, melatonin, and GABA.
If you are generally healthy and not on any medications, you can follow the dosing on the label.
There are no guidelines on the appropriate dosage of GABA for specific conditions, such as anxiety. As always, you should talk to your doctor before starting any supplement for the treatment or prevention of specific health concerns.
Scientists still need to research the potential side effects of GABA, so there is a lot we don’t know right now.
However, side effects of a GABA supplement can include:
Most likely, these side effects occur with too much GABA. Keep your dose within the recommended range.
You shouldn’t drive or operate heavy machinery after taking GABA until you know how it affects you. We recommend taking GABA at night before bed, which is why we included it in our nighttime formula, Calm Sleep.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid taking GABA, as there is not enough information about whether it is a safe supplement for them.
It is not clear from current research whether GABA interacts with any medications – so if you want to try GABA, talk to your doctor first. Since GABA can affect blood pressure, you should use particular caution if you take a blood pressure medication.
As you may know, magnesium is a calming mineral that helps with anxiety, stress, sleep, and many other common health issues.
Magnesium is active in the nervous system, and one of its “actions” is to stimulate GABA receptors in the brain.
By taking magnesium with GABA, you could get the benefits of GABA at a lower dose.
If you’re looking for GABA in Canada, consider Natural Calm Sleep, which is formulated with magnesium citrate plus magnesium glycinate, a vegan (synthetic) form of GABA, L-theanine, and melatonin.
Natural Calm has thousands of 5-star reviews from customers, and it is a top-selling magnesium supplement not only in Canada but worldwide.
Natural Calm Sleep can promote feelings of relaxation, increase total sleep time, reset the body’s sleep-wake cycle, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and increase magnesium levels for optimum health.
Note: This content is for informational use only, and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or professional diagnosis. Please discuss the use of GABA or other supplements with your physician.
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