Anxiety and depression are common in patients with diabetes. In this 2016 paper: Prevalence and predictors of depression and anxiety in patients of diabetes mellitus in a tertiary care center, it was found that a significantly larger proportion of diabetic patients had
- Anxiety: 27.6% vs. 12.7% as compared to healthy controls and
- Depression: 26.3% vs. 11.2% as compared to healthy controls
- Both depression andanxiety: 21.0% vs. 7.3% as compared to healthy controls
The paper also reports that diabetic women had higher rates of anxiety than men (17.6% vs. 10.0%) and higher rates of depression than men (17.1% vs. 9.3%).
GABA is one of the calming amino acids I used with much success with my clients who have the physical type of anxiety (with stiff and tense muscles). As well as addressing this type of anxiety it also helps them to end their sugar addiction, reducing cravings dramatically. Melissa shares her results after using GABA on this blog: GABA for ending sugar cravings (and anxiety and insomnia)
I was cool as a cucumber at the airport and was much calmer when visiting family and friends compared to last year! The true test of its efficacy will be in two weeks when the semester starts. For now, I notice a general calmness and am sleeping well.
An unexpected result was that I stopped craving sweets after about a week of taking it! I didn’t even realize this until I was grocery shopping and out of habit walked towards the ice cream – I stopped and realized I didn’t want ice cream. So I walked toward the chocolate – same reaction. For once in my life, I was not craving sweets.
Now there is some interesting recent research showing how GABA may play a role in diabetes treatment too.
This February 2015 paper, GABAergic system in the endocrine pancreas: a new target for diabetes treatment explains the role of GABA in regulating islet-cell secretion and that it exerts β-cell regenerative effects:
Excessive loss of functional pancreatic β-cell mass, mainly due to apoptosis, is a major factor in the development of hyperglycemia in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1D and T2D).
In T1D, β-cells are destroyed by immunological mechanisms. In T2D, while metabolic factors are known to contribute to β-cell failure and subsequent apoptosis, mounting evidence suggests that islet inflammation also plays an important role in the loss of β-cell mass. Therefore, it is of great importance for clinical intervention to develop new therapies.
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major neurotransmitter, is also produced by islet β-cells, where it functions as an important intraislet transmitter in regulating islet-cell secretion and function. Importantly, recent studies performed in rodents, including in vivo studies of xenotransplanted human islets, reveal that GABA exerts β-cell regenerative effects. Moreover, it protects β-cells against apoptosis induced by cytokines, drugs, and other stresses, and has anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory activities. It ameliorates the manifestations of diabetes in preclinical models, suggesting potential applications for the treatment of diabetic patients.
This paper published in November 2015: Study of GABA in Healthy Volunteers: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics also reports potential therapeutic benefits for those with diabetes:
Our data show that GABA is rapidly absorbed and tolerated in human beings; its endocrine effects, exemplified by increasing islet hormonal secretion, suggest potential therapeutic benefits for diabetes.
You can read more about this in the blog post: GABA rapidly absorbed and tolerated – benefits for anxiety and diabetes
A paper published in December 2016 on GABA and diabetes: Long-Term GABA Administration Induces Alpha Cell-Mediated Beta-like Cell Neogenesis states that
This newly discovered GABA-induced α cell-mediated β-like cell neogenesis [or the regeneration of tissue] could therefore represent an unprecedented hope toward improved therapies for diabetes.
So here we have the amino amazing acid GABA that when used as a targeted supplement:
- we know reduces and often eliminates sugar cravings completely
- calms the anxious mind and reduces physical tension and stress within 5 to 30 minutes
- has much potential in offering therapeutic benefits for diabetes
I’m proposing oral GABA as a much better option for diabetic patients with anxiety – better than benzodiazepines which have been shown to contribute to cognitive impairment. Using GABA sublingually seems to be most effective.
Do you have diabetes and has GABA helped you with your cravings and anxiety? And enabled you to reduce your diabetes medication?
If you’re a practitioner I’m curious if you commonly see anxiety and depression in your diabetes patients/clients? And do you currently use GABA (and other amino acids like tryptophan and glutamine) to help reduce their anxiety and sugar cravings? And reduce their diabetes medication?
I am a practitioner in the UK where GABA is not available to us. I understand L-theanine converts to GABA. We can use L-theanine in the UK. What experience do you have of using L-theanine as a substitute for GABA in diabetes, anxiety or sugar cravings?
I love L-Theanine Ella and take 300mg (Seeking Health brand) every night at bedtime and it seems to work well for me, not a miracle result but it helps…
Drew
Thanks for sharing here. I’m curious to hear if you get cognitive benefits too and have seen any effects on cravings reduction since taking the theanine?
Yes Trudy, have noticed an improvement in cognitive function, still have the odd ‘foggy day’ if I’ve overdone it or had an over stressed experience or if sleep was interrupted but am only taking it at night so the effects may have worn off by daytime. Now that you mention it, my cravings have all but disappeared – I never really had major cravings but now there are none at all – I have 3 nourishing meals a day with no snacking or desire to snack in between. Just water and herbal teas to drink in between meals… 🙂
Ella
We know theanine increases GABA and even dopamine too (giving cognition benefits) and may also impact serotonin levels.
I’m afraid I don’t have much experience using theanine as a substitute for GABA in diabetes, anxiety or sugar cravings simply because I have found GABA to be superior to theanine in most instances. When GABA hasn’t worked I’ve used theanine, I do like a combination GABA/theanine product (and have had success with this for sleep/anxiety/cravings) and I’ve had feedback from clients who prefer theanine to GABA. Dr. Zendi Molderhauer uses theanine (and GABA) with the children and adolescents she works with (our Anxiety Summit interview here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/anxiety-children-adolescents-integrative-psychiatric-approach/)
One paper reports theanine’s benefits for smoking cessation via dopamine support (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23233221). There was no mention of GABA but I suspect it impacted GABA too and we know many smokers smoke for it’s calming effects. So we could extrapolate to other addictions and cravings.
I’m not aware of any research on theanine for diabetes but theanine is well documented in the literature for improving anxiety and insomnia.
This paper discusses green tea/Camellia sinensis (which contains theanine) and diabetes: Can Tea Consumption be a Safe and Effective Therapy Against Diabetes Mellitus-Induced Neurodegeneration? “Tea phytochemicals have been reported to be responsible for tea’s significant antidiabetic and neuroprotective properties and antioxidant potential”(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25977676)
If someone can’t tolerate the caffeine in green tea (which I commonly see) I recommend rooibos tea (a South African herbal tea that is caffeine free). Rooibos also has plenty of research on it’s benefits for diabetes.
I’d love to hear if you’re currently using theanine and the benefits you see with clients?
Also I’d love clarification on this please: “I am a practitioner in the UK where GABA is not available to us. We can use L-theanine in the UK.” – are you saying you are not permitted to recommend GABA in the UK?
Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I’ve only used L-theanine for calming so far. But I’m starting with a neurofeedback company, which helps people with addictions amongst other conditions. Until I read your blog post I hadn’t realised how GABA could help with sugar and other addictions. If L-theanine substitutes adequately, that’s very useful to know. It’s great to have the references. I also didn’t know about the diabetes link. If I find benefits using L-theanine with any addiction clients, I’ll be sure to let you know.
To clarify: I’m a registered nutritional therapist. It seems GABA as a supplement has been banned in the UK so I can’t get hold of it or recommend it from any reputable source. Bummer!
I used L-theanine for years. It helped. I also used neurofeedback, 40 sessions, until I couldn’t afford it. Doctor recommended possibly 80 more. I did feel results, calmer and I could tolerate music on the car radio, I even sang a few times. Lol. I then started doing Art of Living meditation (yogic breathing). This was very helpful too.
These past two weeks I’ve gone off all supplements and am following the Eat 4 Your Type by P. D’Adamo. I’m a B, non-secretor so no chicken (which was about the only meat I ate, and cashews) due to lectin agglutination. I’m also rotating the use of infrared sauna, red light therapy, and tanning. I’m still having bad/good days, but the bad days are shorter and the good days are better days. My neurologist told me yesterday that I’m walking better and responses to his tests have improved. No MRI/EEGs needed. He was also happy to hear that I’ve only used one Xanax in the past month.
I’ll go back on the supplements in a week, slowly one by one. I’m thinking it takes a village. There is no one answer.
Ella
All the amino acids helps with sugar and other addictions, each one for a different reason – with GABA it’s the stress eating or using your “drug-of-choice” to relieve stress, with low serotonin it’s afternoon and evening cravings etc.
What a pity about GABA being banned in the UK. I’d love to learn more. Do you happen to know when it was banned and why? And which agency would have banned it? If you have a link to share that would be super helpful?
Since GABA is not readily available I’d also consider taurine for it’s calming effects. It’s also excellent for addictions and especially for alchoholism since it’s so supportive of the liver.
Trudy,
I can’t obtain a date on the ban only that it has been in place for “many years” according to a personal email from the agency involved.
The agency is the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency). They inform me that GABA was classified by their Medicines Borderline Section as a medicinal product, defined as “any substance or combination of substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in human beings”. Also any substance “administered to human beings either with a view to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action…” The classification is because they deem GABA to have “the capacity to modify physiological function in human beings”.
Someone within the profession once commented wryly on this in general by saying you could argue that water does too!
A link to the MHRA’s borderline products page is: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/decide-if-your-product-is-a-medicine-or-a-medical-device
I was sent a 62-page document for my perusal as guidance by the MHRA. If you fancied having a look, it can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/506397/a_guide_to_what_is_a_medicinal_product.pdf
Thank you for all the information you provide about amino acids and their benefits. I shall adapt what I can within the UK restrictions.
Ella, I get GABA in the UK at the links below. It is out of stock at the moment and comes and goes but according to customer service it is due in soon:
Hope that helps.
Drew
Thanks for letting us know. I removed the links as I can’t see where they are going to and have to be sure they are safe (for me and other blog readers). Can you kindly re-post with the actual links rather than shortened links?
Here they are Trudy, UK suppliers of GABA Calm and 750mg GABA. Their stock comes and goes but apparently more on the way soon:
https://www.healthmonthly.co.uk/source_naturals_gaba_calm_120_lozenge_orange?search_string=Source%20Naturals%20GABA%20Calm
https://www.healthmonthly.co.uk/source_naturals_gaba_750mg_180_tablet?search_string=Source%20Naturals%20GABA
Thanks so much Drew! Appreciate it!
Thanks Drew. I spoke to the company to check this out. They are operating from Jersey in the Channel Islands outside of UK law. The legal situation is that GABA is banned to Joe Public in the UK. Legally it is only available on prescription now. They know this. Companies in Jersey are able to sell to individuals in the UK via ‘personal imports’. This takes advantage of a loophole in British law. As a nutrition professional and keen to stay within the law, I couldn’t recommend this to my clients, regrettably.
Thanks for the info on this Ella, interesting, I never knew that! Due to Health Monthly’s fluctuating stock issues I may explore Taurine which will be more reliably available here in the UK and within the law which I am also interested in honoring… 🙂
I have a daughter who is a diabetic dealing with anxiety. She is currently on metformin and Zoloft. Interested in what starter dosage for GABA. If positive results obtained then would like to do a step-down to discontinue Zoloft. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Becky
It’s very individualized and I do a trial with each person to find their optimal amount. You can read more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/how-to-do-an-amino-acid-trial-for-anxiety/
Keep in mind that low-GABA anxiety is just one type and low serotonin is often a factor too, especially with someone on Zoloft.
And then all the other possible root causes of anxiety need to be looked at: high cortisol, dysbiosis, gluten sensitivity etc
I like to address everything so my clients are in a good place nutritionally before working with them and their doctor on a taper. More on that here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/taper-from-antidepressant-tryptophan-amino-acids/
I encourage you to read my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” so you have a good handle on the comprehensive approach I use with my clients, have reviewed the precautions with using the amino acids and are well-informed (on Amazon here http://amzn.to/2kptFWm)
Interesting post. I am wondering, does this anxiety and depression theory also apply to people who are in the metabolic syndrome stage? I currently am dealing with that.
I also have a general question in regards to GABA use. What is someone just recently tapered off of a benzo? Have you used GABA to help this patients? Or is it to risky to use GABA after being on a benzo for so long. (would it cause possible withdrawals, or trick the body).
I just took 6 months to taper off of my klonopin, and I know through my 23 and me and nutrahacker that I have several gene mutations that ultimately do not allow my body to produce enough GABA, but more glutamate. It’s strange to me how the report wouldn’t recommend just GABA, but recommends the precursors like taurine and theanine. Thanks in advance.
Amanda
You can be anxious and depressed with metabolic syndrome and full blown diabetes (and even if you have neither).
I prefer to use nutritional support before doing a benzo taper but many people use GABA and other nutritional approaches (diet, gluten removal, no coffee etc) once they have stopped the benzo. Some people are more sensitive than others and can only tolerate very small amounts of supps.
I’d love to hear more on the gene mutations and who you ran the report thru and which genes? It helps me learn who is saying what – and I agree why not mention GABA? It’s likely because some people don’t believe it works
Thanks Trudy. I have fortunately been able to tolerate most supplements. I just started Cortisol Manager by Integrative Therapeutics, prescribed by my Functional Dr, and it really seems to be helping. She also thinks I might have a little bit of metabolic syndrome, so I started a blended supplement for that as well. I have one more drug to taper, which is an SSRI. I am almost Drug free!
I ran the test through NutraHacker with my raw data from 23andMe. Here is the gene mutation for high glutamate, low GABA.
Gene: GAD1
Gene Functions: Catalyzes production of GABA
from glutamate
Consequences: High glutamate, low GABA
Encourage: Taurine, Theanine, Glycine, NAC, Vit B3 (as you can see they don’t include GABA)
Amanda
Ah yes you did say NutraHacker – thanks for sharing the details. I’ll reach out to them with the GABA research
Glad to hear Cortisol Manager is helping. In case you haven’t seen the blogs on my site re Seriphos for high cortisol here is the latest one https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/seriphos-original-formula-anxiety-insomnia-cortisol/ The jury is still out as to whether is working as well as the pre March/April 2016 version (which had been superior to Cortisol Manager for most)