What is GABA? What does it mean for me?

In our “Year of the Brain” series this year, we’ve covered several neurotransmitters and what it means for our health. So far, we’ve covered Acetlycholine, Serotonin, and Dopamine. If you lost your newsletter or want more copies, you can access all 2009 back issues at www.libbyguimont.blogpot.com.

This month we are covering GABA another neurotransmitter. GABA stands for Gamma-aminobutyric Acid (see why we call it GABA?). It is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter of the nervous system. The majority of it is found in the central nervous system (CNS) (also known as the brain & spinal cord). While there are some small amounts produced outside of the CNS, it cannot cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) as discussed previously so it does not impact the CNS.

GABA is linked with relaxation, anti-anxiety, and anti-convulsive effects. It may also have some impact on the release of human growth hormone.

Since oral supplementation of GABA do not cross the BBB, therapeutic strategies involve improving the production of GABA and improving receptor site activity.

The following conditions are associated with low levels of GABA:

· Anxiety

· Insomnia

· Depression

Subjective findings reported with low GABA levels are:

· Feelings of anxiousness or panic for no reason

· Feelings of dread

· Feelings of a knot in your stomach

· Feelings of being overwhelmed for no reason

· Feelings of guilt about decisions

· Restless mind

· Hard to turn your mind off when you want to relax

· Disorganized attention

· Worry about things you never had thought of before

· Feelings of inner tension and inner excitability

What is important about the making of GABA is that it starts with glucose. Therefore any blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia or insulin resistance can effect this. It’s been shown that decreased levels of glucose to the brain have been linked with decreased levels of GABA production. Getting your blood sugar balanced has such a wide range of effects that go beyond what we think.

Foods that impact the production of GABA:

· Peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds

· Cheese

· Oats, barley, wheat

· Rice

· Halibut

· Spinach

· Beans (soy, pinto, black, lentils)

· liver