Do GABA supplements work? by Jerry Brainum 2/24

 

 

The human brain is an electrical and chemical organ. That means that the brain sends messages via neurons, which most people call "brain cells." The way it's done is complex, but it resembles how electrical signals are sent through wires. The chemical part involves various neurotransmitters, which relay nerve messages throughout the brain. The neurotransmitters are modified amino acids, meaning they can be altered by diet, especially the intake of various amino acids that act as precursors for synthesizing neurotransmitters. The amino acids enter the brain and are transformed into specific neurotransmitters through enzymatic activity. The limiting factor for the production of neurotransmitters isn't amino acids, but rather how active the enzymes are that transform them into neurotransmitters. 

An example of a brain neurotransmitter is serotonin, produced from the amino acid L-tryptophan. Serotonin promotes sleep onset since it's a precursor for a brain hormone called melatonin. Serotonin is also related to depression since when it's not being produced enough in the brain, depression often results. Many of the most commonly prescribed anti-depressant drugs work by preventing the reuptake of serotonin in the brain, which prevents it from being degraded by enzymes. The drug Prozac is an example of this. Some neurotransmitters stimulate the brain, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and glutamate, while others inhibit neuron activity and thus produce a relaxation or calming effect. These inhibitory neurotransmitters, as they are called, work through the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. Two inhibitory neurotransmitters are glycine, the smallest amino acid, and Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. 

GABA is the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. It is the primary calming chemical produced in the brain, and it's also produced in the gut. The actions of GABA as a calming and relaxing substance are illustrated by drugs prescribed to treat both anxiety and sleep problems, most of which interact with GABA brain receptors, of which there are three. The preponderance of GABA receptors is found in the limbic section of the brain. I won't go into detail about the difference between GABA brain receptors other than to note that one is more rapidly acting than the others. GABA is produced in the brain from the amino acid glutamate, also called glutamic acid. Glutamate can be synthesized from another amino acid, glutamine. Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine acts as a coenzyme in converting glutamate into GABA, and the amino acid taurine also interacts with GABA to promote relaxation and sleep.  Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter in that it stimulates brain activity. This is good for learning and memory but not so good if you have a stroke. Research shows that most of the brain damage that occurs during a stroke is caused by an excess release of glutamate in the brain, which promotes the release of excess calcium ions into neurons that effectively damage them. One of the chief functions of GABA is to offset . . .