What is GABA?
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid that the body produces naturally.
However when scientists discuss it, they rarely refer to as an amino acid.
When the term amino acid is used in the medical community they are usually discussing “Alpha Amino Acids”, and GABA does not fall into that classification, and is it not a protein.
GABA is the principle neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system.
It helps to regulate a person’s neuronal excitability throughout their nervous system.
In non-scientific language, GABA is known to be a contributor to the regulation of muscle tone in the human body.
The absorption of GABA by the body can be inhibited when a person’s nerves become damaged, which often leads to hypertonia in the muscles where the nerves were damaged.
It is also believed to be very important for balancing the brain and decreasing anxiety.
It is a chemical that assist the brain in blocking transmission of signals from one brain cell to another, which helps a person remain calm in high stress situations.
GABA also helps the brain by regulating the firing of neurons because it is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Without enough GABA in your body your mind would be constantly be thinking of ways to stimulate itself, which would never allow you to relax.
In addition, your muscles would also be very tense and your ability to concentrate on a single subject for a long period would be reduced dramatically.
In the book “Mind Boosters”, which was written by Dr.
Ray Sahelian, he states that GABA is the most important and abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter that exists within the human brain.
He goes on to say that it controls the brain’s rhythmic theta waves and without enough of it, a person would be out of balance both mentally and physically.
What is GABA Used For?
GABA is a compound that our bodies manufacture naturally which our brain uses to pass along information from one cell to another.
It is what is called an “Inhibitory Neurotransmitter”, and it is an essential chemical that our bodies must possess at an adequate enough of a level for it to function properly.
GABA helps the brain by promoting a state of calm and decreasing excessive brain activity.
Without a high enough level of it in our bodies, people can develop many mental health problems like anxiety, depression, or sleep deprivation.
If you have difficulty concentrating on a subject for a long time, if you are always nervous and restless, or if any little problem sends you into a state of panic, there is a very strong likelihood that your body is not producing enough GABA.
GABA is a substance that our brain uses to help it calm down, and think sensibly.
When most people confront an issue, they are able to sit down and try and determine the best way to solve the problem.
Once they have that figured out, they will then implement their preferred solution and go on about their daily life.
When a person that does not have enough GABA in their brain is confronted with the same issue, they do not have the ability to slow down and come up with a logical solution.
Instead, they often have a panic attack because they cannot differentiate between minor issues, and major problems.
So, if you were wondering “What is GABA used for”, it is utilized by your brain to help you calm down and relax regardless of how difficult of a situation that might be confronting you.
It provides you the ability to loosen up and think rationally, no matter what else might be going on in your life.
What is GABA Deficiency?
Simply put, GABA deficiency is not having enough of the substances in your body.
GABA is a neurotransmitter that the brain using to pass along information from one cell to the next.
Presently the scientists that study it do not quite understand why certain individuals do not produce enough of it.
When this happens, their brains to not function normally and it can lead to all of kinds of sometimes serious medical problems.
Below you will find a few of the symptoms that have been associated with GABA deficiency.
A couple of recent medical studies have confirmed that the patients that suffer from the following symptoms can benefit from the consumption of GABA supplements, if that is indeed the cause of their problems.
GABA Deficiency Symptoms
1. Feeling Overwhelmed
2. Butterflies in the Stomach
3. Lump in the Throat
4. Low Stress Tolerance Levels
5. Trembling, Twitching, or Shaking Regularly
6. Your Body Tends to be Tense, Stiff, or Uptight all Too Often
7. You Suffer from Panic Attacks
8. The Use of Alcohol, Food, or Cigarettes to Help you to Relax
9. The Constant Felling of Stress When There is No Need to
10. Sweaty or Clammy Hands
11. Heart Palpitations or a Fast Resting Heart Rate (over 85)
12. Problems Sleeping
13. Chronic Pain
14. Having Trouble Relaxing, Loosening Up, or Enjoying Life
15. Being Anxious, Nervous, Jumpy, or “On the Edge” Constantly
16. A Family History of Anxiety or Panic attacks
Factors That Contribute to Decreased Levels GABA in the Brain
1. Not Getting Enough Sleep Because of Work, School, or Family
2. Progesterone Deficiency
3. Alcohol Withdrawal
4. The Excess Consumption of Caffeine
5. Mercury or Lead exposure
6. Excessive Electromagnetic Radiation
7. Glutamaine Deficiency
8. B1, B6, Zinc, Manganese or Iron Deficiency
9. Excessive Loud Noise Exposure
The Side Effects Caused by GABA
For the most part, there are not any long-term or dangerous side effects caused by the use of GABA.
However, as with all medications or supplements, they can be abused by the patient that believes taking more than the daily recommended dosage will speed up the recovery process.
Regardless of the type of supplement you are taking, you should only use the minimum amount possible to achieve your objectives.
GABA supplements are normally used to treat a wide variety of mental health conditions, like panic attacks, anxiety, or depression.
The supplement has a calming effect on the brain, and it is even used to treat people that have difficulty sleeping.
Because of this, it should not be taken before you plan on exercising, or if your job requires you to perform strenuous labor.
In addition, you should not use it if you plan on driving a long distance in a motor vehicle.
GABA known side effects are a slight increase in your heart rate, or a feeling of being light headed.
These side effects normally wear off shortly after you take the supplement, and do not produce any long term negative health issues.
If you plan on providing the GABA supplement to a child, you need to read the recommended daily dosages very carefully.
It is usually suggested that you cut in half the normal amount that is prescribed for an adult.
Depending on the condition that is being treated, the recommended dosage does change.
In addition, the amount prescribed should take into consideration the age and weight of the patient.
GABA supplements have been quite beneficial for people that suffer from mental health conditions due to a deficiency of this extremely important compound in their bodies.
The over use of the supplement will not improve the patients prospects for a full recovery, and it should be discouraged.
Gaba Supplements For Anxiety
The following are the top 10 recommended supplements by mental health professionals for people that suffer from anxiety or anxiety attacks on a regular basis.
1 . Vitamin E – Vitamin E is known to help transport oxygen to the brain, which in certain cases, the lack of sufficient oxygen can be the cause of anxiety.
2. Valerian – Valerian is thought to be so useful at treating anxiety because it helps to stimulate your body ability to produce more GABA, which is a critical compound for people that suffer from this health condition.
3. Kava – Kava has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a supplement for the treatment of anxiety.
4. GABA – GABA is a neurotransmitter that the brain uses to help it transmit information from one brain cell to the next.
It is thought that having too little of it in the human body, is a major reason that so many people suffer from anxiety.
5. Essential Oils – Essential oils have been used for centuries by many cultures around the world to treat anxiety.
Some of the most common oils are sandalwood, ylang-ylang, jasmine, geranium, and rose.
6. Vitamin C – Vitamin C plays a crucial role in regulating your adrenal glands and brain chemistry.
Large doses of it are known to produce a tranquilizing effect.
7. Trace minerals – Calcium and magnesium are thought to reduce or prevent nervous tension.
Zinc is another trace mineral that is used to treat anxiety, because it calms the nervous system.
8. Vitamin B – Many of the B vitamins including B6 (Pyridoxine), B1 (Thiamine), and B3 (Niacinamide) are excellent vitamin supplements for anxiety.
9. Green Tea – An amino acid found in green tea called L-theanine has been used for 100’s of years to treat anxiety attacks.
10. Passionflower or Passiflora Incarnate – These two substances are an ancient folk remedy that has been used to help people that suffer from anxiety.
Nutritional Role of GABA
GABA, which is an abbreviation for the term “Gamma-aminobutyric acid”, and it is an amino acid.
That being said, the researchers that study it do not think of it as an amino acid, because that classification is usually only used for “Alpha Amino Acids”.
It is manufactured by the body naturally, although certain individuals do not produce enough of it.
The specialists that concentrate in this area are really not quite sure why a percentage of the population does not produce the amount that the body needs to function normally.
However, they do believe that exposure to environmental toxins or other pollutants could be the reason.
It is created by the body when a person consumes amino acid glutamine. This amino acid can be found in foods like potatoes, oatmeal, wheat, nuts, or whole grains.
It is believed that a diet that is high in glutamine and the use of vitamin B supplements can help your body to produce more it naturally.
Medical researchers have also been able to determine that the regular use of GABA supplements can increase the amount of it in your body.
However, they are really not quite sure why this happens.
Some of them believe that it is because your body does not dispose of the GABA it creates quite as fast as it normally would.
There are other experts in this field that think GABA supplement act as a stimulate; and cause your body to produce more of it on its own.
If you believe that you are suffering from any one of the numerous medical issues that is caused by GABA deficiency, then you should do everything within your power to increase your body’s production of this essential chemical.
This includes eating the correct diet, and taking vitamin B and GABA supplements.
Natural GABA Enhancers
GABA is a chemical compound that our bodies produce naturally.
Many people have not heard of GABA, but almost everybody has heard of vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also produced by our bodies naturally when you are exposed to the right amount of sunlight.
If you are not out in the sun enough, your body will not make enough of this very important vitamin, and your health will begin to suffer because of it.
If you are suffering from any one of the many known mental health symptoms that is caused by having a lack of GABA in your body, there are all natural ways that you can go about increasing your body’s ability to produce it.
The following are a few tips that you might want to consider trying.
1 – The following drugs are known to inhibit your body’s ability to manufacture GABA, and they are; Valium, Ativan, and Xanax.
2 – The anxiety-reducing amino acid L-theanine is found in green tea and it is thought to be an essential element that is critical for the production of GABA.
Green tea also provides it regular users many other health benefits, so if your body does not have enough GABA, you should be drinking as much green tea as possible.
3 – Regularly consuming all natural GABA supplements has been scientifically proven to increase its levels in your brain.
4 – Glutamine is an amino acid that is required by your body in order for it to manufacture GABA.
You can increase your body’s glutamine levels by consuming complex carbohydrates.
5 – The following foods should be consumed if you have low GABA levels.
* Whole Wheat and Whole Grains
* Bananas
* Broccoli
* Beef Liver
* Almonds
* Brown Rice
* Tree Nuts
* Halibut
* Lentils
* Walnuts
* Oats and Whole Grain
* Rice Bran
* Oranges and other Citrus Fruits
* Spinach
Is GABA An Amino Acid?
The abbreviation for “Gamma-Aminobutyic Acid” is GABA, and yes it is an amino acid.
However, when medical researchers discuss GABA, they do not use the term amino acids.
Amino acids are considered the building blocks of protein creation in our digestive system, and GABA two main contributions to our bodies have little to do with food.
The scientists that study GABA report that it is a “Neurotransmitter”, which our brains use to pass along signals from one cell to the next.
Its other significant purpose is facilitating the growth of human growth hormones (HGH).
Human growth hormones help our bodies stay strong by reinforcing our muscles.
In addition, they are known to reduce the amount of fat in our cells. As human beings start to age, the amount of HGH that our bodies produce begins to decrease.
This is one of the reasons that the elderly often look very weak and feeble.
Many physicians that research brain activity, report that a blunt trauma to the head can also cause a reduction in the output of GABA.
In addition, and the scientists really do not know why a percentage of the population produces an abnormally low amount of GABA.
GABA deficiency can and does lead to quite a few serious and debilitating physiological disorders.
Because of this, many mental health specialists are now prescribing GABA supplements as a way to increase the amount of this very important chemical as a treatment for their patients that suffer from anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), panic attacks, nervousness, and a host of other mental health conditions.
If you believe that your body is not producing enough GABA, the supplement form of this substance that our bodies produce naturally, should be able to significantly boost the amount of it in your system.
Health Benefits of GABA
GABA is short for the term “Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid”, which is a compound that carries information from one cell to another in the brain.
It is produced by the body naturally; however certain individuals for whatever reason do not make enough of it.
The scientists that study GABA are really not quite sure why a percentage of the population does not have enough of it in their bodies, and usually recommend supplements as a way to increase its abundance.
Gaba Supplements Health Benefits
Many medical specialists that research GABA believe that if your body does not have the quantity of the substance that it needs to function properly; this is a precursor to stress, sleep deprivation, depression, or anxiety.
In 2010 a research study that was published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry, that revealed people who suffered from server depression where more likely to have low, to very low levels of GABA in the systems.
That very same publication also published another medical study that was conducted in 2009, which revealed that increasing the levels of GABA in the body was a very effective treatment for anxiety.
There are other ongoing research projects that have determined that the consumption of certain herbal supplements, such as valerian and kava help to increase the GABA levels in the brain.
At this time the scientists that are conducting these studies have not yet been able to determine if the natural supplements simply decrease the breaking down of the GABA that your body produces naturally, or if their regularly intake actually ends up in the body permanently.
The one fact that the doctors and researchers who study GABA are positive about, is that if you do not have enough of it in your body, it is very difficult for your brain to function as it was designed to.
Gamma-Aminobutyic Acid (GABA)
Gamma-Aminobutyic Acid (GABA) is a substance that our bodies produce naturally.
It is responsible for two almost completely different essential functions which our bodies require to perform normally.
The first thing that GABA does for us is to help our brains to operate as it was designed to.
It is considered a neurotransmitter, which allows the brain to send signals or information from one cell to another.
In this context, you can think of GABA as an all natural tranquiller.
It helps us to stay calm and relaxed when we are confronted with difficult situations.
GABA is an essential chemical that our brain uses to think rationally, and find solutions to complex problems.
Gamma-Aminobutyic Acid (GABA)
If a person does not have enough GABA in their system, which is also known as “GABA Deficiency”, it can and does lead to a multitude of serious and debilitating physiological disorders.
The second primary purpose of GABA, is to enhance our body’s ability to produce human growth hormones (HGH).
HGH helps our muscles maintain their strength throughout our lifetime, in addition to assisting us with the regulation of fat that accumulates within our cells.
The medical researchers that study GABA have been able to determine that there are three reasons why a percentage of the population does not create enough of this crucial material.
First, they know that if somebody was in a bad accident and took a blow to the head, this can lead to the decreased production of the substance.
Second, when we start to age, our bodies begin to reduce the amount of many chemicals that it regularly produces.
Third, certain people are simply predisposed to a lack of GABA production. Presently, there is a debate going on within the medical community over this subject. They are trying to determine if it is hereditary, or simply a part of life.
The following is a list of the most common physiological disorders that are associated with GABA deficiency.
1. Anxiety
2. Depression
3. Panic, or suffering from frequent panic attacks.
4. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
5. Nervousness
6. Stress
7. Insomnia
8. Alcoholism
9. Lack of Self Esteem
10. Obesity
Currently, many mental health care professionals are prescribing GABA supplements for their patients that suffer from the inflections mentioned above, and the many more that are associated with having a lack of this very important compound within a person’s body.
The scientists that research GABA supplements have been able to determine that their consistent use over a period of time does increase the amount of it within your system.
What they have not been able to discover however, is exactly why this transformation takes place.
One group of the researchers believes that the supplements simply boost your body’s ability to manufacture the substance on its own.
Another segment thinks that it helps your body to slow down the disintegration process; thus allowing more of it to remain within your system, for a longer period.
Still, there are other specialists that believe that the GABA supplements themselves are the reason that their patients see such a dramatic increase of the material within their bodies.
Regardless of the reason why GABA supplements increase the amount of this material within our bodies, it has been scientifically proven that it does, which is all that is really important.
Most of us are aware of the fact that the treatment of the vast majority of mental health conditions is very complex, timely, and in most cases, unsuccessful.
The metal health experts that are now prescribing GABA supplements to their patients report that they are witnessing dramatic improvements in many of these individuals.
If you suffer from any of the conditions mentioned above, or any one of the other numerous disorders that are associated with GABA deficiency, then the regular use of GABA supplements could be the solution that you have been looking for.
GABA cream is currently being used to slow down the aging process.
Since GABA is known to increase your body’s ability to produce more HGH, which in turn strengthens your muscles, its regular users are now reporting quite extraordinary results.
As most of us know, lines and wrinkles are part of getting older.
While there are many reasons that lines and wrinkles begin to appear, one of them is because our muscles that support the skin, are no longer strong enough to maintain its structure.
Regularly applying GABA cream on the skin has been proven to improve muscle mass and its capacity to support the skin, which leads to the gradual reduction of lines and wrinkles.
Today, certain bodybuilders are also regularly using GABA supplements. They do this because of its ability to naturally increase the amount of HGH within their bodies.
An increase of HGH in a person’s body will allow them to increase their muscle mass, improve their strength, decrease the time of rest required between workouts, and reduce the amount of fat that has accumulated within their cells.
Gamma-Aminobutyic Acid or GABA might sound a little too good to be true. In fact, it kind of sounds like a wonder drug that was invented in a test tube by a mad scientist somewhere.
That being said, it was not created by man, but it was developed by our very own bodies millions of years ago as part of the evolutionary process.
Our bodies produce all kinds of chemicals that we need to maintain ourselves, and live a long and healthy life.
If for whatever reason, our system shuts down the production of any of these essential elements, we begin to suffer.
Most of the substances that we produce cannot be created any other way other than by our bodies naturally.
Thankfully, GABA does not fall into that category.
If you believe that you suffer from GABA deficiency and it is causing you any of the problems mentioned above, then you should certainly strongly considering using GABA supplements as a way to help you to heal yourself, and improve the quality of your life.
