Natural and little known, the neurotransmitter GABA is said to have calming effects. How does it work and what impact does it have on our daily life?

GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a neurotransmitter, chemical messenger, very common in neurons in the cortex.

The GABA receptor is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, that is, it tends to slow down the transmission of nerve signals. Without GABA, neurons could lose their temper and transfer nerve impulses inconsistently.

The natural function of GABA is therefore to lower the nervous activity of the neurons to which it attaches. GABA is therefore essential to promote relaxation and seems to be involved in certain stages of memorization and would be used, among other things, to control fear or anxiety which manifests itself in neuronal overexcitation.

GABA has a stabilizing role that encourages regular functioning on a mental and physical level. It produces a soothing effect that slows down, promotes calm, decreases muscle tone, reduces epilepsy convulsions, as well as muscle spasms. But above all it slows down the heart rate and your blood pressure.

We know that it plays a key role in the control of anxiety, it helps to relax and fall asleep. The production of GABA can be stimulated by deep breathing and mindfulness meditation which will lower stress and help fall asleep faster.

While low levels of this neurotransmitter cause difficulty falling asleep despite fatigue, anxiety, recurrent muscular or neuropathic pain, a tendency to irritability.

Here are some of the signs that should get your attention:

• I have trouble focusing because I am nervous;
• I have tremors from time to time;
• I tend to be short of breath;
• Sometimes I sweat too much;
• I often feel tired after having had a good night’s sleep;
• I have mood swings and am fickle in my thoughts.

Drugs that increase the level of GABA in the brain are used to treat seizures and to soothe the tremors of people with Huntington’s disease.

GABA is naturally present in plants but it is above all synthesized endogenously by our body from glutamic acid.

As it has difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier to access the brain, it is necessary to favor its release by the neurons themselves instead of taking substances enriched in GABA directly.

To synthesize this neurotransmitter well, it is necessary to adopt different measures.

An adapted diet including:

• Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, etc.);
• Oats, chestnut;
• Starches (lentils, potatoes, rice);
• Fish (halibut, etc.);
• Beef liver, almonds, walnuts;
• Fruits: bananas, oranges;
• Astragalus and some teas, etc.

Rest, because most people don’t get enough and not sleep well;

Engage in physical activity.

More specifically, the synthesis of GABA is enhanced by:

• Inositol, a sugar normally synthesized by the body and found in many fruits, vegetables, pulses, seeds and oilseeds;
• The so-called “branched” amino acids: leucine (Gruyere, turkey meat, spirulina, beans, pistachios, whey, etc.);
• Isoleucine (nuts of all kinds, seeds, lentils, rye, eggs, chicken, etc.);
• Valine (peanuts, mushrooms, soybeans, lupine, parmesan, seeds of all kinds);
• All the vitamins of group B, including B6.

What about supplementation?

When a metabolic dysfunction disrupts the synthesis of GABA or accelerates its degradation, certain anxiolytic drugs mimic the action of GABA, but with side effects and a risk of addiction. It is preferable to allow neurons to produce it directly, by providing them with GABA precursors:

• L-theanine, an amino acid found in small amounts in tea that improves GABA synthesis. It promotes relaxation and quality sleep, without having a sedative action. In the waking phase, it seems to increase attention and concentration;
• Another natural product having an affinity with the GABA receptors in the brain is alpha-casozepin, a peptide derived from milk casein and present in the patented product Lactium. This is a good option for long-term control of mild anxiety. Formulas associating alpha-casopine with melatonin or other sleep plants are used for problems related to falling asleep;
• Do not put aside that a highly anxious temperament cannot be explained by a deficiency in GABA alone.