GABA is an important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that controls most of the functions of the body and mind. It is also the main inhibitor neurotransmitter and has caused a number of health problems including anxiety disorders, insomnia, depression, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy and movement disorders.

GABA Definition and Function

In GABA, receptors are distributed across different regions of the brain such as cortex and basal ganglia. The cortex is the brain layer associated with seizure activity, so many anti-seizure drugs try to increase the inhibitory effect of GABA to the stimulatory effect of another important neurotransmitter called glutamate. But the cortex also works together with other areas of our brain to control how we think, act, feel, perceive, learn and act. GABA is responsible for sending signals to the cortex and other areas of the brain to initiate and suppress the movement of muscle groups in our body. If appropriate GABA levels are present, it has a muscle relaxant effect and allows us to feel less nervous.

GABA plays a critical role in the development of central nervous system cells known as the nervous system. The presence of GABA allows cells to differentiate against appropriate number of neurons during brain formation and beyond. When the GABA molecule interacts with two receptors GABA-A and GABA-B, there is a change in the conformation of the receptor, which triggers the release of peptide and chemokine, which can increase the hyper-stability of brain cells.

What’s so important about this? Depending on the brain area involved, the extreme stability of neurons may occur as seizures, headaches, muscle cramps, anxiety, insomnia, tics or psychiatric disorders. There are many reasons for increased neuron activity, but a significant physiological cause is due to either reduced GABA activity or increased glutamate. Finding a healthy balance between these two neurotransmitters is very important for health and well being. Low GABA activity has been associated with anxiety, depression, focus, and attention difficulties. Anti-seizure drugs have mood-stabilizing properties due to their effects on GABA levels and may be therapeutic in those with mood disorders.

GABA, Magnesium and Sleep -Waking Cycle.

GABA receptors are also found in the hypothalamus, which contains a unique anatomy that controls our circadian rhythms or our sleep-wake cycles. Many sleep medications, and even some botanical sleep aids, try to increase GABA’s activity. Magnesium is an important mineral and is also a GABA agonist, ie it adheres to GABA receptors and activates the receptor as GABA will. It not only stimulates GABA receptors to support GABA function, but also has the function of stabilizing cellular membranes. Daily supplementation with magnesium can help in the treatment of headaches, concussion, anxiety and insomnia. Foods rich in magnesium should be included in our daily diet; These include banana, spinach, broccoli and quinoa with a variety of nuts, seeds and beans.

GABA seems to play a major role in our health, but where does it come from? Interestingly, it actually comes from glutamate; it is a product of glucose metabolism and is the precursor for glutamate synthesis. The production of GABA depends on the ability of the brain to form and disrupt glutamate using a special enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), which helps the preparation of GABA from glutamate. This enzyme requires vitamin B6 as a co-factor to work efficiently. B6 is a water soluble vitamin that can be found in spinach, bananas, potatoes, rice, raisins, chickpeas and others.

GABA and Mitochondria.

On the lid side, excessive levels of GABAergic activity may cause sedation and drowsiness. In order to control the balance and concentration of GABA levels, the neurochemical is metabolized by the help of a mitochondrial enzyme known as GABA transaminase (GABA-T). This enzyme works well in the presence of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble food that can be found in several different types of nuts and seeds, spinach and vegetable oil. Considering the vital role of mitochondria to produce energy for the cell and produce the organ in which the cell is vital, it makes us think that the mitochondria will have a hand that will help us calm the body and maintain the balance of neurotransmitters. Mitochondria are related to energy balance and the brain is a very metabolically active organ.

GABA Supplements, Nutrition and Medicines.

This neurotransmitter is the whole of how our brain works and how our body feels. It has been shown that its supplementation with GABA formulations is highly effective in regenerating significantly lower levels of GABA due to poor absorption and assimilation; The supplementation of vitamins required for GABA synthesis and metabolism such as magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin E may be more beneficial. Although there are many drugs with strong effects on current GABA levels and activities such as benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, neuropathic pain medications, anesthetics, sleep medications and barbiturates, these drugs have side effects and long-term consequences. They may be very useful if necessary for the control of severe depression, epilepsy, chronic pain or movement disorders. In an other saying,

In addition to foods containing mitochondrial health-enhancing compounds, consuming all vitamin sources that support GABA function is the healthiest way to support our brain GABA function. Mitochondrial support vitamins and compounds include CoQ10, ribose, arginine, vitamin C among others. Includes spinach, broccoli and cauliflower CoQ10; pumpkin seeds and peanuts contain arginine; fungi contain ribose; Includes citrus fruits, bell peppers and Brussels sprouts, vitamin C. These are all great ways to support GABA levels in the brain.

Plant-based supplementation comes in medicinal herbal form. Many plants act as GABA receptor agonists and have shown GABAergic activity. This includes botany, skull head, valerian, passion flower and lemon balm and is widely recommended for insomnia and anxiety, but is also considered to be useful as an adjunctive therapy for seizures or movement disorders. Many of these botanicals also function as adaptogens and can help the body change its response to stress, which may lead to a lower GABA balance compared to stress hormone neurochemistry.

GABA Sleep, Meditation and Exercise

Other ways to improve GABAergic activity are movement, deep breathing exercises and meditation. Exercises such as yoga, Pilates, running or walking, and daily deep meditation can help us relax. These methods serve to reduce the tone and tension in the central nerve by increasing GABA, reducing glutamate, as well as improving serotonin, epinephrine and dopamine levels, and other important neurotransmitters for brain and body health. The key to understanding is the interaction of different neurotransmitters in brain health, so some drugs that are used to enhance GABA function may often have side effects from other irritations caused by changes in nervousness rates and balance.

Movement, deep breathing exercises and meditation may have immediate effects on GABA levels, but it may take some time for nutritional and botanical approaches to naturally increase GABA but may be more sustainable. Consuming foods containing vitamins, nutrients and compounds to increase GABAergic activity will help maintain a more natural neurotransmitter balance and provide better tolerance and adaptation to stressors, whether inside or outside.

GABA and Inflammation

These are all examples of how we can support GABA and the general neurotransmitter function in a natural and healthy way. However, we must also understand what we eat and how we experience inflammation. When inflammatory fires are ignited in our body, physiological energy must be directed to fight inflammation. Therefore, energy and resources are not available for brain function that is running out and requires many different biochemical reactions to synthesize, use and reduce neurotransmitters. Most of the time, we’re just trying to get ourselves medicines or medications to help ourselves not to succumb to today’s with poor sleep, despair, depressed mood, anxiety, pain, tension and agitation.

Most of these symptoms can be reduced at least by the specific lifestyle choices we make. These choices are important to avoid the chronic use of the drug, to minimize the doses of the drug required, or to avoid the need for complete medication. GABA is a preventive chemical in the brain and can change our perception of our world when levels are too low. We can be more comfortable with proper nutrition and botany and other methods to improve GABA, sleep better, feel happier and have more energy. These healthy choices will also have auxiliary effects in reducing the risk of disease.

Warning !

It is a proposal and Information article that has been compiled from different sources. There is no definitive diagnosis and treatment. Ask your doctor about any health problems. Remember, the treatment methods applied in health problems may vary according to the biology of individuals, hereditary characteristics, age, height, weight differences, allergic aspects and dozens of such conditions. Only your doctor can help you in the treatment of your health problems.