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Acupuncture boosts GABA to reduce back pain and oral GABA further reduces the pain

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I fell and injured my back last week but I am doing much better already. I’m going to be sharing a series of articles on post what I’m doing to ease the pain and heal – acupuncture and cupping being two of the approaches. As well as heat (with a hot water bottle), I’m also using a long list of nutrients such as:

  • high-dose fish oil and curcumin (as anti-inflammatories)
  • relaxing magnesium
  • arnica for bruising
  • GABA for relaxing my muscles and helping with the acute pain, and for easing the fear and anxiety (initially I was very fearful I had a serious back injury) and
  • DPA (d-phenylalanine) for the endorphin-boosting pain-relief

Today I’m going to share some research on GABA and how it helps with pain reduction and muscle tension, and how the acupuncture actually boosts GABA (as well as endorphins) to reduce pain.

Based on the examination I have soft tissue bruising around the lumbar area (L3 to L5). Sitting had been impossible until 2 days ago and even now I have to alternate between sitting and standing. I also twisted my ankle in the fall so initially standing was even challenging!  

I had one acupuncture and cupping session last Saturday and will be having another one this coming Saturday. I felt some immediate relief after this session and my back has been getting better and better each day.

Oral sublingual GABA for the acute pain and muscle relaxation

In the interim, between acupuncture/cupping sessions I felt I needed relaxing support for my stiff and spasming back muscles so I immediately started using high doses of GABA for the acute pain. And it’s been working amazingly well.

Right after the fall I was taking 1g of GABA powder every few hours (held in my mouth for 1-2 minutes) and now I only need to take it 2 or 3 times a day as needed. This is the dose I started with only because I know this dose works for me for the rectal spasms I sometimes experience. I always have clients do a trial and start low and increase slowly based on need and response. The starting dose is typically 125mg as found in GABA Calm but I suspect this is likely too low if you are someone needing pain relief.

With the oral sublingual GABA I feel relief from the pain within 5 minutes and it lasts a few hours.

My pain level was 10/10 and is now down to 2/10 most of the time with a few times during the day when it is 4/10. I’m walking, standing, able to turn over in bed and sleep through the night, and able to get off the bed without assistance. I can now also put on my yoga pants, socks and shoes myself – these were impossible tasks in the first 5 days after my fall!

Acupuncture boosts GABA and downregulates substance P and CGRP

I have not been able to find research on oral GABA for easing pain but do have some research to share. In this first paper, Effect of electroacupuncture on thermal pain threshold and expression of calcitonin-gene related peptide, substance P and γ-aminobutyric acid in the cervical dorsal root ganglion of rats with incisional neck pain the authors state that it is known that acupuncture therapy effectively reduces post-surgical pain, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate:

whether expression of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the neuropeptides substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the primary sensory neurons of cervical dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are involved in electroacupuncture (EA)-induced analgesia [pain reduction]in a rat model of incisional neck pain.

The conclusion is as follows: acupuncture increases the pain threshold i.e. it reduces pain and the mechanism is likely related to

downregulation of pronociceptive mediators SP/CGRP and upregulation of the inhibitory transmitter GABA in the primary sensory neurons of cervical DRGs

In case you’re not familiar with the terms substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) I’m going to explain what they are, how they are connected to pain and why downregulation helps with pain reduction.

What is substance P (SP)?

Founders and Directors of Neuroplastix, Marla Golden, DO and Michael Moskowitz, MD share this about substance-P (SP), the main pain neurotransmitter:

It has five basic functions in the body. They are pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression and nausea. Even though these seem like negative experiences, they are important for survival. Problems arise with excessive production and release of Substance-P.

They share a very descriptive video that:

depicts a nerve injury causing a massive release of Substance-P, up to 5 times greater than in acute pain. This diffuses out to three to five times more local area. This is a major way that the pain map expands in persistent pain and keeps the pain going.

Be sure to watch the video on this page.

What is calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)?

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is relatively new marker for pain as this recent review paper discusses – Calcitonin gene-related peptide and pain: a systematic review

The present review revealed the association between measured CGRP levels and somatic, visceral, neuropathic and inflammatory pain. These data suggest that CGRP may act as a neuromodulator in non-headache pain conditions. However, more studies are needed to fully understand the role of CGRP in nociceptive processing and therapy of chronic pain.

Oral GABA lowers substance P and CGRP in asthmatic children

As I mentioned there is no research on the effects of oral GABA on pain reduction so I’m going to extrapolate from this study on asthma – Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid treatment on plasma substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide levels in children with asthma.

In this study of 75 children with asthma, 36 children were in the GABA treatment group and received oral GABA (25-30 mg/kg per day) in addition to standard asthma medications. For a 100 lb /45 kg child this would equate to 1125-1350mg of GABA per day.

The conclusion of the study is that oral GABA

can significantly decrease plasma levels of SP and CGRP in children suffering from acute asthma.

The authors propose that airway inflammation may be a factor in asthma and since GABA reduces SP and CGRP, eases neurogenic inflammation and tracheal spasms, it may offer a new approach for the prevention and treatment of asthma (this is my best translation from the Chinese paper).

In summary, oral GABA, used sublingually has helped me tremendously with the acute pain of my muscle injury, and it helped ease the anxiety and fear I felt right after the incident.

As you read above, I am using more than just the GABA, but because it works so quickly I saw benefits right away and had hope while all the other approaches are starting to slowly help too. I just love that I get to experience this first-hand and share it with you – although I would have preferred not falling and that initial severe pain!

I also have a good history of GABA helping me so this was a clue for me to try it now. It was my life-saver when I first experienced my terrible anxiety and panic attacks and helped me tremendously within a few days.  I also did very well with GABA when I used it for throat spasms during  my vagus nerve issue after that scary plane ride, and another incidence when I was getting terrible ice-pick type headaches that turned out to be a jammed neck issue.   I really am a GABA girl aren’t I!?

I have used high doses of GABA like this with one client who had a back and neck injury after a construction accident. It also helped him tremendously.

Have you used high doses of GABA for muscle injuries and seen improvements like this? Or do you use this approach with your clients/patients?

Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference 2017 (IMMH)

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The Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference 2017 (IMMH) runs Sept 28-Oct 1, 2017, in Orange County, CA (near Anaheim).

This is a conference I attend every year and I’ll be attending again this year – it’s that good! As IMMH mentions:

research has revealed that many disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, and autism spectrum disorders often have biomedical causes that contribute to symptoms, from nutritional deficiencies to chronic infections.

This is a practitioner-only event and attendees include psychiatrists, naturopathic physicians, family physicians, chiropractic physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, psychologists, nutritionists and registered dieticians, and other allied mental health professionals. 

Here is a video with highlights from the 2016 conference

Here are just a few of the topics and speakers I am especially looking forwarding at the 2017 conference:

Integrative Medicine Approaches to Autoimmune Encephalopathy and PANDAS – KENNETH BOCK, MD

This lecture will discuss neuropsychiatric disorders with abrupt onset that include symptoms ranging from anxiety to intrusive thoughts and rage episodes. They may also include tics, dysgraphia (inability to write coherently), and dyscalculia (difficulty understanding numbers). These symptoms are triggered by infectious autoimmune encephalopathy (frequently referred to as PANS/PANDAS). Evaluation and treatment will be discussed from a comprehensive integrative medicine point of view.

Ion Channel Genetics in Mental Health: Associated Integrative Therapies – LAUREN FEW, PHD

Several studies have implicated genetic mutations in voltage-gated ion channels in the pathogenesis of mental health disorders. For example, both the CACNA1C calcium channel gene and ANK3 gene have been linked to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression in genome-wide association studies. This talk will focus on a number of integrative therapeutic options that target ion channels and have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of mental health symptomatology, including omega-3 fatty acids, lithium, magnesium, and N-acetylcysteine.

Mold and Mycotoxins: The Hidden Menace – MARK FILIDEI, DO

Mold and fungi are ubiquitous in the environment. However, particularly in “WDB”, water damaged buildings, mold can become a sinister force affecting physical and mental health. Not all molds are toxic and many just cause respiratory issues, but a subset of molds produce mycotoxins; powerful neurotoxins that can have a profound effect on the brain and mental health. The effects of mold, as well as testing, diagnosis, and treatment options will be discussed.

Mitochondria and Mood: Understanding the Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Psychiatric Illness – PETER BONGIORNO, ND

As the ‘powerhouse of the cell’ and nervous system, healthy mitochondrial function is an underlying key to healing mental illness. Dr. Bongiorno will explain what you need to know to help identify mitochondrial issues, understand the factors that contribute to poor function, and review the best natural treatments to restore mitochondrial health.

Helping Patients Follow Special Diets Despite Barriers – JULIE MATTHEWS, CNC

How do we support effective special diet implementation when our patients – both adults and children – face varied behavior, psychosocial, and environmental barriers? How do you determine the right diet for each individual? If it’s too complex or restrictive the patient may become overwhelmed and non-compliant. If it’s too basic, you may not see positive results. In this presentation, Julie will share keen insights gleaned from fifteen years of working with special diets for complex digestive, immune, and neurological conditions in both children and adults, audiences fraught with implementation challenges.

Discovery of a Novel Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease – DALE BREDESEN, MD

The cause(s) of Alzheimer’s disease have remained incompletely defined, although risk factors such as type 2 diabetes and the epsilon-4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E gene (ApoE4) have been described. Precision medicine approaches have proven valuable for the evaluation and treatment of various malignancies. This presentation will review the metabolic profiling done by Dr. Bredesen and his team in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and pre-dementia conditions. The results suggested that mycotoxin exposure may be a novel cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

Genetic SNP Testing for Neuropsychiatric Disorders – WILLIAM SHAW, PHD

Genetic variants called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) play a greater role in the metabolism of the human brain compared to almost all the other organs. A SNP called apolipoprotein E4 markedly increases the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease after 50. A SNP in protein HFe that absorbs iron improves brain function in populations that have dietary iron deficiency but greatly increases the risk of psychiatric disease in populations in which dietary iron is excessive. In this presentation, a survey of the most significant SNPs for psychiatric diseases and potential “fixes” for these SNPs will be reviewed.

Estrogen and Mental Health: Exploring Estrogen’s Vital Role Linking the Brain, the Gut Microbiome, and the Immune System – FELICE GERSH, MD

There is an amazing and complex interrelationship involving our gut microbiome, our brain function and emotional wellbeing, and our hormones, and most particularly estrogen. A dialogue has only recently been re-initiated, opening the door to a deeper exploration of the most advantageous ways and manner in which to deliver estrogen supplementation for the improvement and prevention of cognitive and mood disorders. This talk will review how this dialogue is unfolding and using this new information, provide practical ways to address mental health issues.

Botanicals for Depression: Rhodiola, St. John’s Wort, Curcumin and Saffron – JUDITH PENTZ, MD

Botanicals have long been a part of the healing traditions in many cultures for depression. Certain medicinal herbs have increasing evidence based research and thus can be part of toolbox for an integrative medical practice. Yet, having a greater understanding of the complexities that herbs present is critical in having a successful outcome when prescribing them for your patients.

Here is the entire schedule and all the topic outlines

And here is the link to register

This is a practitioner-only event and CEs and CMEs are available.

Hope to see you there! I’m not presenting again this year (as you saw in the video I did present last year) but will be there to support my dear friend and colleague Julie Matthews AND will also have a booth there to share The Antianxiety Food Solution message!

If there is enough interest I’m going to arrange a small group meet-up with Julie and I and some of the speakers so please let me know in the comments below if this is of interest.

P.S. If you are NOT a practitioner and are interested please pass this on to your doctor, nutritionist, social worker, therapist, naturopath etc. The event is also recorded and will be available to purchase after wards so please leave me a note in the comments if you’re interested in the recordings.

Toxoplasma gondii: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, OCD and unresolved anxiety?

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Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil – research shows it may be a factor in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD in susceptible individuals. Could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated.

This is the one of the parasitic infections I cover on The Parasite Summit which is online from September 11-18, 2017.

Here are a few snippets from my interview:

A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil. The infection can be acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water, by handling contaminated cat litter, or by transmission from mother-to-child.

According to the CDC – as of Mar 1, 2017 – in the United States it is estimated that 11% of the population 6 years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. In various places throughout the world, it has been shown that up to 95% of some populations have been infected with Toxoplasma.

I love cats and have always been a cat person and pets are wonderful companions helping many of us humans recovering from PTSD and trauma – but we always need to dig deeper:

  • some individuals don’t respond as well to dietary changes, brain chemical balancing and addressing other biochemical/nutritional factors
  • I’m always looking for root possible causes. I’ve identified 70+ causes of anxiety and one of them is parasites
  • any parasite could be a factor – it causes stress and inflammation in the body, and we may see high cortisol leading to increased anxiety, insomnia and inflammation
  • could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated – and believe we’ll be hearing more about it as more research comes out

I discuss this review paper published this year: Is Toxoplasma gondii a Trigger of Bipolar Disorder?

The association between T. gondii and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder is one of the most studied links between one pathogen and a psychiatric disorder.

However, growing emerging evidence has also documented an association between latent toxoplasmosis and the risk of [bipolar disorder] and suicidal/aggressive behaviors. T. gondii infection, as previously suggested for schizophrenia, may contribute to the onset and the progressive course of the disease interacting with genetic hereditary predisposing factors, as well as affecting neurotransmitter systems and immune responses, which have recently been shown to be closely linked to the pathogenesis of BD and its medical comorbidities.

The link between this parasite and psychiatric disorders could be also explained by its ability to influence neurotransmitter pathways. Indeed, T. gondii has been shown to increase dopamine levels, as well as to modulate serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate signaling.

With the impacts on neurotransmitters it’s clear how this parasite could directly trigger anxiety, panic attacks, fears, worry and even OCD. I cover this and more (malaria and malaria medications too) on the upcoming Parasite summit that starts September 11th.

At the Parasite Summit, experts will help you determine if parasites are silently impacting your health – they’re FAR MORE COMMON than you think! Parasites aren’t just found in third-world countries, millions are already infected in industrialized countries and parasites could be silently hampering your health. Fortunately, with awareness and appropriate care, parasites can be prevented and treated, once detected.

If you’re struggling with any of the following, don’t miss this event:

  • Gastrointestinal: pain/cramps, excess gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea
  • Infertility and hormone disorders
  • Skin issues: acne, itching, rashes
  • Mental health: depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia
  • Challenges with autoimmune disease recovery (Toxoplasma gondii may also be a factor in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)

The Parasite Summit is online from September 11-18, 2017 and you can register here I hope you can join us!

Please share feedback and ask questions in the comments below.

Time magazine: ketamine is NOT the solution for treatment resistant depression!

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Seen at LAX airport en route back to Australia – this cover of Time magazine:

The Anti Antidepressant. Depression affects 16 million Americans. One third don’t respond to treatment. A surprising new drug may change that.

It’s scary to think that ketamine and ketamine-like drugs are being considered the solution to “treatment resistant depression”. I’ve never liked this term and in my opinion, what it really means is that the root cause of the depression has not been found. To me it looks like the mainstream medical mental health community is desperate!

It really is time to get all the well-researched nutritional psychiatry approaches to the forefront! They do work! The timing of this article is even more interesting since I was returning from the first international meeting of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research in Bethesda, MD.

Lead food mood researcher Professor Felice Jacka presented her SMILES paper where dietary changes from a junk food diet to a real whole foods diet reduced depression in 30% of the participants.

Microbiome researcher Professor John Cryan discussed the gut brain connection. This paper: Recent developments in understanding the role of the gut microbiota in brain health and disease, was published just last week:

recent preclinical and clinical evidence suggest that targeting the microbiota through prebiotic, probiotic, or dietary interventions may be an effective “psychobiotic” strategy for treating symptoms in mood, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases

And research on sulforaphane for psychosis, and depression and anxiety was presented: Sulforaphane produces antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in adult mice

these findings demonstrated that SFN [sulforaphane] has antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activities in stressed mice model of depression, which likely occurs by inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and inflammatory response to stress. These data support further exploration for developing SFN [sulforaphane] as a novel agent to treat depression and anxiety disorders.

I presented on the benefits of a gluten-free/grain free/Paleo diet for certain individuals for depression and anxiety, and did a poster presentation on GABA for eliminating anxiety. 

As you can see from the TIME Magazine article the only approaches that have been considered (and have failed) are medications in various different combinations:

Every week, when Ian Hanley sits down with his therapist, he goes through a list of depression treatments he’s been researching online. The best-known treatments at the top of the list–half a dozen antidepressants and known combinations of those drugs–are all crossed out….

Most diagnoses do not come with 20-plus medicines approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat it–and yet with depression, more options don’t always mean better outcomes. Ever since the first antidepressants were introduced 60 years ago, doctors have had patients like Hanley–people who don’t seem to get better even after they’ve worked their way through the lengthy list of available drugs. About 30% of all people with depression don’t respond adequately to the available treatments. That’s a dismal failure rate for a class of drugs designed to improve a person’s basic ability to function.

According to this article in Time magazine:

The biggest development has been the rediscovery of a promising, yet fraught, drug called ketamine. It’s best known as a psychedelic club drug that makes people hallucinate, but it may also have the ability to ease depression–and fast. In a race to shape the next generation of antidepressants, Johnson & Johnson and Allergan are fast-tracking new medicines inspired by ketamine.

I encourage you to read the entire article and take note of the following: the side-effects seen with medications over the years and the fact that doctors “don’t know the consequences and potential side effects of taking tiny doses of ketamine over and over again”; “she tried nearly everything” (you’ll read this in all the articles advocating for ketamine but unfortunately they are only referring to medications); the ketamine effects are temporary and cost $15,000 per year (and are not covered by insurance); and ketamine “is thought to stimulate an opioid receptor in the brain” and is already known to be addictive.  

When I shared this image and article on my Facebook page I discovered that is a pretty divided topic with a number of people feeling really strongly about the fact that this approach needs to be researched further and considered.  I acknowledge their concern for the individuals who have not found a solution for their depression. BUT my question is this: have all the dietary and nutritional approaches been considered and looked into with these people who have not responded to antidepressants? 

I strongly believe that ketamine is NOT the solution and that nutritional psychiatry is!

Have you used this ketamine approach personally or with patients?

Would you consider using ketamine personally if the antidepressants didn’t work for you? Or would you be more willing to work with a functional medicine or functional nutrition practitioner to find your true root causes and address them with diet, nutrients and a functional medicine approach?

Mitomics – genetics of the mitochondria and food based antioxidants like curcumin

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Dr. David Haase, a functional medicine doctor and a leader in the field of genetics and genomics, covers mitomics in this very interesting interview on the upcoming Interpreting Your Genetics Summit which runs August 21-28, 2017.

Mitomics is the genetics of the mitochondria themselves. The mitochondria have their own set of genes. And that’s often given a lot of importance because we get our mitochondria from our mothers and therefore we inherit this genome from the mother and we get our mother’s energy per se.

But when you step back a little bit, you recognize that the genetics of the mitochondria are not just nuclear. It’s not just thirty-seven genes that hang out in the mitochondria, but rather, there is over a thousand genes that are in the nucleus that control the proteins or make proteins and influence the mitochondria at great levels. I’ve used a company called Courtagen who do whole mitome analysis. And in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome or bizarre multi-system dysfunction, this is instrumental in giving a new plan of action to address.

He shares the story of a patient who had had chronic pain, fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome (a mitochondrial symptom)

She had tachycardia, palpitations, some dizziness. And so we actually did a whole mitome analysis on her and we found that she had a uniqueness in something called the TRAP1 related disease. I think it’s clever because the acronym is T1RED.

And this TRAP actually codes for a protein, which is a chaperone to the mitochondria and it’s involved in antioxidant defenses. And what’s been shown is that individuals with this TRAP1 related disease will be queasy, they’ll have pain and they’ll be fatigued and highly aggressive.

But when we found that she had this heterozygote for this particular abnormality – and it was associated with her having a lot of oxidative stress and elevation of hydroxyguanidine, which is a marker of genetic damage and oxidative damage, and elevations in her CK [creatine kinase], which was a marker of muscle injury. We went into this very intense antioxidant program with a lot of food-based antioxidants: sulforaphane, curcumin, resveratrol, CoQ10 and alpha-lipoic acid.

We went after this as aggressively as I think I’ve ever gone after this in a single patient with doses that are in excess of what I would typically use. And she had a remarkable recovery.

I share this snippet because with the tachycardia (an abnormally fast resting heart rate of at least 100 beats per minute) and palpitations, you may think it’s anxiety with a root cause such as low GABA or low serotonin or high cortisol or even Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, when in fact these symptoms are caused by mitochondrial TRAP-1 related disease.

I hope you can join us on Interpreting Your Genetics Summit, August 21-28, 2017. You can register here.

Here are some other reasons to attend:

  • once you register you’ll have immediate access to these interviews: Epigenetic Mastery for Everyone from Andrea Nakayama, CNC, CNE; The Current State of Genetics from Jeffrey Bland, PhD; and Your Genetics and Autoimmune Diseases with Dr. Tom O’Bryan, DC, CCN.
  • my digital ebook is available to you if you choose to purchase the series: Anxiety, Benzodiazepines and Your Genetics
  • as part of the lead up to the event, summit host, James Maskell will even be doing three of his own genetic tests and getting them interpreted by speakers from the summit

James Maskell has gathered world-renowned leaders from genetics, genomics and functional medicine and this promises to be a cutting-edge online event. These pioneering experts are on the front lines interpreting genetic data!

Hope to “see you” on the summit.

UPDATE August 11: I just went to the site and see this message today “Courtagen has closed its diagnostic laboratory and will no longer be accepting samples.”

They have a link to this press release of July 18 so it’s a brand new change: “Courtagen Life Sciences Inc. announced today that the company will be shifting the core focus of its business to medicinal cannabis genetics and testing. As the company reorients its business to respond to the growing opportunities in the medicinal cannabis industry, the company has made the decision to wind down its diagnostic neurology testing division.”

GABA: an amino acid supplement for neurotransmitter support and anxiety relief

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I recently attended the first international meeting of International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and was honored and thrilled to present my poster – GABA: an amino acid supplement for neurotransmitter support and anxiety relief

Because you were not able to be there, here are the contents of my poster word for word.

GABA overview

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a calming neurotransmitter. Low levels of GABA are associated with anxiety, agitation, stress, panic attacks and poor sleep, with sufficient GABA levels providing feelings of calm and relaxation (1).

GABA is also an amino acid and is available in supplement form. Earlier GABA research suggests that taken orally, it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain in amounts substantial enough to have a calming effect.

However, there is now much clinical evidence indicating that supplemental GABA (especially in a sublingual form), can ease anxiety symptoms (2, 3). There is also more recent evidence to support the effectiveness of oral GABA as a supplement for neurotransmitter support and anxiety relief.

GABA mechanisms and the blood brain barrier

The blood brain barrier is more dynamic than assumed in the past:

… and some passage of solutes can occur by transcytosis, carrier-mediated transport, or simple diffusion of hydrophobic substances (4)

Neurotransmitters as food supplements – the effects of GABA on brain and behavior:

We suggest that any veridical effects of GABA food supplements on brain and cognition might be exerted through blood brain barrier passage or, more indirectly, via an effect on the enteric nervous system. (5)

Client feedback on GABA’s calming effects

I have taken Xanax in the past for panic attacks. My functional medicine doctor suggested [GABA]. I was amazed how it works just like Xanax – instant calm feeling within 10 mins of taking 2 capsules. I use them as needed when I am having heightened stress and anxiety.

[GABA] helps lower my overall anxious feeling all day (anxiety for no reason).

I usually take [GABA] at night when I know I need it, to quiet my mind and relax my body so I can sleep better.”

I did something I thought I would never be able to do – I drove further than I have in over 5 years (not solo yet), which gives me a lot of hope of regaining my independence. I’ve had no panic attacks and so many improvements since I started taking the amino acids. I take the GABA before I’m in any of the situations (like driving) that might trigger anxiety and its working! I couldn’t be happier!

[GABA] changed my life in minutes! I take it every day now. No more hopelessness! (6)

Effective forms of GABA

The author has found the following to be effective:

  • 125mg of GABA combined with 25 mg tyrosine, 50mg glycine, 20 mg taurine, as a sublingual lozenge – this is the most effective form the author uses with clients
  • 300mg GABA, 150mg l-theanine – a capsule opened and used sublingually is more effective than swallowed
  • 200mg PharmaGABA chewable – this form is preferred by some individuals

Dosages of the above are determined via a trial with the client and individualized to their unique needs and biochemistry.

If GABA is low, the client knows within 5 -10 minutes if the GABA supplement is helping to reduce anxiety symptoms, provided the trial is done with a sublingual form.

GABA is frequently used with other nutrient support and always in addition to dietary changes.

Phenibut is not used by the author due to concerns about dependence, tolerance and withdrawal. (7)

Conclusion

The ISNPR (International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research) consensus position statement on nutritional medicine in modern psychiatry, supports dietary modification and recognizes the need for nutrient-based support that may include amino acids. (8)

GABA is clinically effective for anxiety, and new theories have been suggested with regards to the mechanism of action. However, we still have much to learn about the behavioral effects of supplemental GABA for neurotransmitter support and anxiety relief. (5)

References

  1. Lydiard, R. B. 2003. The role of GABA in anxiety disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 64(3):21-27.
  2. Ross, J. 2004. The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions – Today. New York: Penguin.
  3. Scott, T. 2011. The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. Oakland: New Harbinger 
  4. Steenbergen, L. et al. 2015. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration improves action selection processes: a randomised controlled trial. Scientific Reports. 5: 12770.
  5. Boonstra, E. et al. 2015. Neurotransmitters as food supplements: the effects of GABA on brain and behavior. Frontiers in Psychology. 6:1520.
  6. GABA, the calming amino acid: products and results (accessed July, 25, 2017)
  7. Samokhvalov, A. V. et al. 2013. Phenibut dependence. BMJ Case Reports. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2012-008381.
  8. Sarris, J. et al. 2015. International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research consensus position statement: nutritional medicine in modern psychiatry. World Psychiatry. DOI: 10. 1002/wps.20223

It was very encouraging to see the interest in my poster and this topic of GABA for anxiety! I shared how I use GABA with a number of psychiatrists, some dietitians, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a number of researchers, and a number of nutritionists and health coaches.

I’m really pleased to have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing researchers and hope to be able to collaborate on research.  

Please let me know if you have questions and do share if you use GABA personally or use it with clients/patients.