Causes.
Nutrient deficiencies, partial B vitamins and other amino acids from the diet, and prolonged stress (which can deplete B Vitamins) may result in low GABA levels. Low levels of GABA have been associated with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, insomnia, irritability, and restlessness.
The symptoms for an individual with GABA-T deficiency can include: psychomotor retardation (a slowing down of thought and activity), low muscle tone, hyperactive responses, lethargy, seizures, and EEG abnormalities.
Take nutritional supplements.
One of the simplest ways to boost your body's GABA levels is to take supplements such as GABA, valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, l-theanine, magnesium, taurine, which are all associated with greater levels of this calming neurotransmitter.
Sedatives activate GABA receptors to increase their sensitivity to it. These medications include barbiturates (phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin), and Quaaludes.
It's also found in green, black and oolong tea. Other foods that contain GABA or boost its production in your body include brown rice, soy and adzuki beans, chestnuts, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sprouted grains and sweet potatoes.
Ashwagandha stimulates these same GABA receptors, without the side effects. Rather than causing fatigue or cognitive impairment, ashwagandha is known to enhance cognitive performance. Ashwagandha has long been used to reduce stress and support a healthy mood.
GABA promotes survival and axonal regeneration in identifiable descending neurons after spinal cord injury in larval lampreys.
A simple GABA urine test can help identify GABA imbalance in patients who are in need of calming and sleep support. This simple test allows patients to test GABA levels at home, without visiting a physician's office or clinic.
GABA-transaminase deficiency is a very rare disorder. Only a small number of affected individuals have been described in the medical literature. GABA-transaminase deficiency is caused by mutations in the ABAT gene, which provides instructions for making the GABA-transaminase enzyme.
GABA is synthesized not only in the brain, but also in peripheral tissues and organs, such as the pancreas (Okada et al., 1976) and the adrenal medulla.
Therefore, the most common disorder in which GABA is targeted as a treatment is epilepsy. However, other disorders such as psychiatric disease, spasticity, and stiff-person syndrome all have been related to disorders of GABAergic function in the brain.
Stress in the body, regardless of the cause, will elevate the catecholamine neurotransmitters and, over time, can contribute to GABA depletion.
There is no blood test to measure GABA deficiency. Although there may be measurable levels of GABA in your blood, that level may have nothing to do with GABA in your brain.
Valerian, hops, chamomile, passionflower, St John's wort, magnolia and kava are all herbs that have been found to increase GABA levels. They are also traditionally used to reduce anxiety, pain levels, insomnia and restlessness.
The largest body of evidence for GABAA modulation is associated with valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L.), which is widely used to reduce the latency of sleep onset and increase sleep quality [13,79].
Neuroactive steroids have effects similar to those of barbiturates in that they enhance agonist binding to the GABA site and allosterically modulate benzodiazepine and TBPS binding [2,3]. Also, like barbiturates, high concentrations of neurosteroids directly activate the GABAA receptor Cl− channel.
Intense exercise increases levels of two common neurotransmitters -- glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA -- that are responsible for chemical messaging within the brain.
GABA release into the synaptic cleft is stimulated by depolarization of presynaptic neurons. GABA diffuses across the cleft to the target receptors on the postsynaptic surface. The action of GABA at the synapse is terminated by reuptake into both presynaptic nerve terminals and surrounding glial cells.
Tomato is one of the major crops that accumulate a relatively high level of GABA in its fruits. The GABA levels in tomato fruits dramatically change during fruit development; the GABA levels increase from flowering to the mature green stage and then rapidly decrease during the ripening stage.
The excised leaves of turnip,76 bean,77 soybean78 and sesame79 plants subjected to drought stress raised their GABA levels. Drought has also been shown to induce high levels of GABA in tomato,80 Phyllanthus species,81 and creeping bentgrass.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a chemical that is made in the brain and also found in some foods. In the brain, GABA has anti-seizure and anti-anxiety effects. GABA works by blocking brain signals (neurotransmissions).