What Is GABA & How Do You Maintain Healthy Levels?

Our mental state is governed in large part by a unique cocktail of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain—one of which is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). 

GABA is essentially your body's "calm down" signal, pumping the brakes on overexcited neurons, contributing to an overall relaxing effect.

However, various lifestyle and genetic factors can throw GABA out of whack, leading to serious disruptions in physical and mental health.

GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter produced in the body.

That means it blocks certain signals in the central nervous system to counter the excessive neural "excitement" that can impact mental and physical well-being.

GABA works in conjunction with another neurotransmitter called glutamate to maintain overall balance.

Glutamate has the opposite role of GABA—to excite and motivate—and it's also the precursor1 to GABA. Think of GABA and glutamate as the yin and yang of the brain.

You experience the calming effects of GABA when it binds to GABA receptors (predominantly GABA-A and GABA-B receptors) throughout various parts of the brain.

When GABA-receptor binding occurs, it triggers the release of compounds (such as peptides and chemokines) that can quell hyperexcitability of brain cells, explains Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D., integrative neurologist and mbg Collective member.

Why that's important: "Depending on the area of the brain involved, hyperexcitability of the neurons can manifest as seizures, headaches, muscle cramping, anxiety, insomnia, tics, or psychiatric disorders," says Ruhoy. 

Normally, excess glutamate is automatically converted to GABA by the body to keep you on an even keel (i.e., not too amped up, not overly lethargic).

But a variety of factors can cause imbalances in these two neurotransmitters, resulting in poor GABA activity in the body.

Abnormally low GABA levels2 have been implicated in a number of undesirable life-disrupting conditions and disorders.

The good news: Research reveals that when you optimize GABA levels and activity, you support mood, focus, sleep, and more.

"GABA enables the body and mind to relax and fall asleep and sleep soundly throughout the night," says Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and board-certified sleep specialist.

GABA-A receptors are also highly expressed in the thalamus3, a brain region involved in sleep processes, and in one study4, patients with trouble falling asleep had GABA levels nearly 30% lower than people who did not.

In a recent study5, participants who took 100 milligrams of a natural form of GABA (PharmaGABA) before bed fell asleep faster and had better quality sleep after one week of supplementation.

"When your body produces [GABA], your central nervous system slows down, which makes a person feel more relaxed, and in many cases sleepy.

In fact, most of the current sleep aids support normal GABA levels in the brain," says Breus.

Given GABA's role in balancing out the excitatory effects of glutamine, it's thought that it also helps to keep feelings of stress in check (this is why many anti-anxiety drugs target GABA-A receptors).

Several studies illustrate how adequate GABA levels can trigger calming effects.

In one small study6, researchers had participants consume either distilled water, distilled water with L-theanine (a calming compound in green tea), or distilled water with a natural form of GABA (PharmaGABA).

Sixty minutes later, they measured their brain waves with an electroencephalogram (EEG) test and found that GABA significantly increased participants' alpha brainwaves (which are typically generated in a relaxed state) and decreased beta brainwaves (typically seen in stressful situations) compared to L-theanine or water. 

In another experiment6 conducted by the same researchers, participants with a fear of heights received either a placebo or 200 mg GABA (in the form of PharmaGABA) before walking across a suspension bridge over a canyon.

Salivary levels of the antibody immunoglobulin-A (sIgA)—which is associated with relaxation at higher levels—were measured at various stages.

Research demonstrates that GABA can have a positive influence on an individual's ability to perform mental tasks7 that require significant concentration and relieve both the psychological and physical fatigue that typically impair this concentration.

In one small study8, participants (several of whom had chronic fatigue) were given a beverage containing either zeo, 25, or 50 milligrams of GABA and then asked to perform a difficult math problem.

Researchers found that those in the two GABA groups experienced a significant reduction in psychological and physical fatigue, as measured by reductions in certain biomarkers including cortisol.

Preliminary research suggests GABA can promote healthy blood pressure, at least according to a few lab studies9.

It is hypothesized that GABA might be acting by helping blood vessels to better dilate, thus promoting healthy blood pressure.

GABA+ concentrations do seem to naturally decline with age10, at least in some regions of the brain.

But in many cases, we can do quite a bit with supplementation, diet, and lifestyle to optimize GABA levels, says Ruhoy, including "eating the right diet free of processed foods, exercising, calming our minds, meditating, breathwork, and more."

Many studies regarding GABA's effects on health outcomes have been done using supplements because they're easy to control and administer.

Of these studies, several have utilized PharmaGABA, which is a naturally sourced form of GABA, produced via a fermentation process that uses the same bacterial strain (Lactobacillus hilgardii) used to make kimchi. 

Ruhoy explains that "patients do experience a response" with supplements and that "a few studies suggest [they] do cross the blood-brain barrier."

Supplementing with magnesium or consuming plenty of magnesium-rich foods can help alleviate side effects associated with low-GABA levels, such as stress and sleeplessness, due to its activity as a GABA-agonist—magnesium binds to GABA receptors and activates them as GABA would. 

Research has shown12 that it is magnesium's effect on GABA-A receptors, specifically, that elicit this calming effect.

Additional ways of improving GABAergic activity include movement and meditation.

"Exercise like yoga, Pilates, running, or walking and daily meditation with focused deep breathing can help us feel relaxed," says Ruhoy. "These modalities serve to decrease tone and tension in the central nervous system by increasing GABA, decreasing glutamate, and improving serotonin, epinephrine, and dopamine levels—other essential neurotransmitters."

In a recent study, patients with clinical depression were assigned to do yoga two to three times a week.

After 12 weeks, researchers found that this yoga practice increased levels of GABA on a temporary basis, and suggested that taking one yoga class weekly might help maintain those enhanced levels.

This study supports older research14 finding that GABA levels were significantly increased (up to 27%) after a 60-minute yoga session. 

Another study15 found that people who meditated for a 60-minute session experienced a significant increase in something called a cortical silent period16 (CSP) in the brain, which is a period of reduced neuron activity in the brain caused by GABA.

Diet is crucial for maintaining healthy GABA levels and activity for a number of reasons.

For one, a poor diet can drive inflammation, putting an excessive burden on your body that impairs your ability to make and use GABA. 

"When the inflammatory fires are stoked within our body, physiologic energy has to then be diverted to combat the inflammation," says Ruhoy. "Therefore, energy and resources are depleted and not available for brain function, which requires many different biochemical reactions to synthesize, utilize, and degrade neurotransmitters." 

So, in terms of eating to optimize GABA, passing on processed fare and consuming a variety of nutrient-rich, minimally processed foods (think a Mediterranean diet) is a great place to start. 

Homing in a bit more: There are also foods that actually contain GABA itself.

"Plants synthesize [GABA]—tea is a very important source with the highest concentration being in white tea, followed by oolong tea, green tea, and then black tea," says Ruhoy. 

Glucose (ideally from complex carbohydrates or dark chocolate) and B vitamins (from a variety of veggies, whole grains, legumes) are also important GABA precursors, she adds. 

A variety of herbs have also demonstrated GABAergic activity by behaving as GABA receptor agonists (the same way magnesium seems to function).

"These botanicals include skullcap19, valerian18, passionflower18, and lemon balm20 and are commonly recommended for insomnia and anxiety but are also thought to be helpful as an adjunct therapy for seizure or movement disorders," says Ruhoy. "Many of these botanicals also serve as adaptogens and can help the body modulate its response to stressors, which can lead to a low balance of GABA compared to the stress hormone neurochemicals."

Taking steps to optimize GABA via diet and lifestyle changes is a smart and safe way to promote overall health.

GABA supplements, specifically PharmaGABA (which has received "Generally Recognized As Safe," GRAS, status), also seem to be quite safe at recommended doses.

Manufacturers don't recommend this supplement if you're pregnant or breastfeeding or for children under six years old. 

If you choose to take GABA, both Vora and Ruhoy recommend 100 to 200 milligrams per day.

This is a common dose recommended by supplement manufacturers, though some people choose to go higher, says Ruhoy.

It's clear that GABA, your body's main inhibitory neurotransmitter, is key for physical and mental well-being.