Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid that used as a supplement to help ease physical anxiety and help with insomnia, and a host of other symptoms ranging from pain to throat spasms (you can see the most recent list of symptoms here)
Research shows that GABA lowers blood pressure too. This has implications if you have high blood pressure/hypertension and are currently taking blood pressure medication or if you happen to have low blood pressure. The latter is already a precaution I review with my clients i.e. to watch the use of GABA when blood pressure is low. But we do need to add another precaution to cover folks already on blood pressure medications. Read on to learn about these precautions and what they may mean for you, and to read about the GABA (and taurine) hypertension research. And the fact that anxiety is common when you have high blood pressure and can actually be a driving factor.
This paper, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Safety Review of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), published in 2021, reports the results of a 4-week study that investigated the tolerability of GABA supplementation in mildly hypertensive but otherwise healthy adults:
The authors first established an optimum dose in mildly hypertensive subjects (SBP/systolic blood pressure between 130 and 180 mm Hg) who were randomized to receive oral doses of GABA at 0 (placebo), 20, 40, or 80 mg/day for 4 weeks.
An intake of 80 mg/day of GABA was associated with a significant reduction of the BP in adults with mild hypertension, and no adverse effects were reported.
A subsequent study evaluated long-term effects of GABA at 80 mg daily versus placebo in mildly hypertensive subjects for 8 weeks:
At the end of the 8-week study, SBP [systolic blood pressure i.e. the top number] and DBP [diastolic blood pressure i.e. the bottom number] were on average 5% lower in all the subjects who received 80 mg/day of GABA compared to participants in the placebo group whose blood pressure levels remained above normal.
This is a substantial reduction when 80 mg of GABA a day is considered a very low dose. I typically have my anxious clients start with 125mg GABA and increase from there. They may end up using 125 mg GABA 3 or 4 times a day and sometimes 250 mg a few times a day.
I’m not suggesting using only GABA or taurine (more on this below) when blood pressure is high as there can be many variables and root causes. I would, however, like to see GABA be given more consideration, especially when anxiety is a symptom too.
The existing GABA precautions: a new one if you are taking medication for high blood pressure
If you are currently taking blood pressure medication for high blood pressure and plan to do a trial of GABA, it’s worth monitoring your blood pressure and discussing with your prescribing doctor. GABA may lower your blood pressure enough that your medication can be reduced or possibly stopped. The above paper states this:
Because some studies showed that GABA was associated with decreases in blood pressure, it is conceivable that concurrent use of GABA with anti-hypertensive medications could increase risk of hypotension [low blood pressure].
I have now added this as a new precaution – High blood pressure and on blood pressure medications: GABA, taurine. You can see it on the Amino Acid Precautions blog.
The existing GABA precautions: watch when you have low blood pressure and don’t use when pregnant or nursing
As you can read in the amino acids chapter of my book and on the above precautions blog, there is already a precaution stating to watch the use of GABA when you have low blood pressure. It’s worth being aware of but is not something I’ve actually seen to be an issue. Occasionally folks reduce their GABA dose because they feel light-headed.
This precaution is already addressed – not to use GABA when pregnant or nursing – but it’s worth repeating here as it’s a frequent question I am asked . The above paper states:
Caution is advised for pregnant and lactating women since GABA can affect neurotransmitters and the endocrine system, i.e., increases in growth hormone and prolactin levels.
Taurine: hypertension, stroke and heart disease
You’ll notice taurine grouped with GABA on the list of precautions. Based on the research, this amino acid also helps reduce blood pressure and is cardio-protective: “Advances in extensive studies on experimental models indicate that taurine is preventive against hypertension, stroke and atherosclerotic arterial diseases.”
This is one of the proposed mechanisms of taurine for lowering blood pressure : “The preventive mechanisms of taurine were ascribed to sympathetic modulation for reducing blood pressure (BP) and anti-inflammatory action.” GABA works in a similar way.
The same precautions would apply: low blood pressure and high blood pressure with blood pressure medication.
As I mentioned above, there is more to hypertension than adding only taurine or GABA. This book by Dr. Mark Houston MD, is an excellent resource – What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Hypertension: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Lifestyle Program to Help Fight High Blood Pressure (my Amazon link).
He does mention taurine and recommends 1 to 1.5 g of taurine twice a day for high blood pressure. He does not mention GABA supplementation but does mention how vitamin B6 is important for GABA and serotonin production and improving sympathetic function.
Stress, anxiety and fear affect blood pressure and GABA helps
Dr. Houston shares that “numerous studies have linked stress, anxiety, fear and other negative emotions to an elevation in blood pressure. Conversely, as stress decreases, so does blood pressure. ”
This supports my comments above about giving GABA more consideration when it comes to high blood pressure, especially when anxiety is a symptom too. Here are some cases studies:
- GABA for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety
- PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome): GABA helped ease lifelong anxiety, wean off anxiety medication, ovulate each month and stop PCOS meds
- Multiple sclerosis: low GABA research and the amino acid GABA for anxiety, muscle stiffness, swallowing/voice issues and pain
- GABA lessens anxiety, agitation and defiance in 98 year old mother who has been “sundowning” for a couple of years
When GABA is not available taurine is a viable option for anxiety and hypertension.
Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements
If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.
There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.
The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.
If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms too). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.
If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.
If you have low blood pressure, has GABA (or taurine) been an issue for you?
Do you have high blood pressure and has GABA (or taurine) lowered it? If yes, how much did you use and how much did your blood pressure improve? And did you have to adjust your blood pressure medication (and which one)?
Has GABA (or taurine) helped ease your physical anxiety and other low GABA symptoms?
If you have questions and other feedback please share in the comments too.
I am a 72 year old male and I tried Gaba. There was no difference in falling asleep and I slept fine until 3:00 am and then I was wide awake and could not fall back to sleep. Is this common or is there something else going on?
Terry
GABA helps with insomnia only if GABA levels are low i.e. physical anxiety and tension lying in bed and sometimes intrusive thoughts. How GABA is used makes a difference too – always sublingual and in the optimal dose for each person’s needs so I have clients start low and increase as needed.
Please share what product you use and how much and how you use it? Has it helped in any way i.e did you sleep better until 3am? Is high blood pressure also an issue?
Keep in mind low GABA is just one of many causes of insomnia/waking in the night. We also look at low serotonin (tryptophan/melatonin can help), high cortisol (Seriphos or lactium), gluten/sugar/caffeine, low blood sugar, sleep hygiene (dark, cool room with no EMFs – no cell phone/no Wifi), gut health like IBS/SIBO and bloating, liver/gallbladder health, fat digestion and oxalates (taurine helps in this instance – more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/waking-in-the-night-due-to-environmental-toxins-impacts-on-the-liver-gallbladder-and-fat-digestion-making-oxalate-issues-worse/) and more.
When would be the best time to take the gaba for blood pressure, am or pm? If I have 100 mg of instant dissolve tablets would they be ok or should I look for 80mg?
Thanks,
Diane Martinson
Diane
It’s best to figure out timing based on unique needs and tracking with a home BP monitor because “Blood pressure (BP) varies according to many internal and external factors, and behavioral factors have an important role in diurnal BP variation. BP rises sharply on waking in the morning and falls during sleep at night, although it varies throughout the day and night. These changes in BP are closely related to mental and physical activities, and the sympathetic nervous system mainly contributes to the diurnal variation in BP. Other behavioral factors, such as food consumption and obesity, dietary intake of sodium, drinking and smoking habits, consumption of coffee and tea, and bathing, also affect the diurnal variation in BP.” – from Diurnal blood pressure variation and related behavioral factors https://www.nature.com/articles/hr2010241
100 mg is also a safe low dose and I doubt there is an 80mg product. That said, some folks find GABA in the day is too much and do well just using it at night
Is anxiety an issue and do you have any low GABA symptoms that you can assess too https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
Please share your results if you do trials with GABA
Hi Trudy, you are very right about GABA reducing blood pressure. Gaba calm helped me reduce my blood pressure, the first time I had it. However, I got a bad headache. I am afraid to take it again because it may indicate too much serotonin. Is that correct?
Raeena
Thanks for sharing about GABA Calm reducing your blood pressure. May I ask how much GABA Calm and how much of a reduction in blood pressure? And what time you used it?
With a headache I’d suspect the tyrosine in GABA Calm and have my clients use a GABA only product when this happens. Tyrosine is also an issue with high blood pressure so a GABA only product is ideal for this reason too (even though the amount of tyrosine is really low in GABA Calm).
There is no concern with too much serotonin as GABA only supports low GABA.
Is anxiety an issue and do you have any low GABA symptoms that you can assess too https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
I only took less than half a tablet to try it out and my blood pressure got to normal levels 110/ 84 from 140/102 . However it spiked up in a few hours again. Do you recommend an only Gaba supplement brand? thank you!
Raeena
Those are great results. GABA typically lasts in the system for about 4 hours and blood pressure can fluctuate in the day so I have clients trial different times and track.
There are a number of GABA products in my online supplement store here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/ Now GABA powder is a good option.
Trudy
I used GABA daily while weaning off of an RX. It was very helpful.
I found that it’s helpful to keep track of which amino acids are sulfur based recently when I had an allergy symptom of a rash on my neck and then on my face. I had added Taurine to my daily supplements and occasionally take glutamine. Once I checked the sulfur contents of my diet and supplements and removed the high sulfur in both plus added molybdenum daily the allergies subsided.
Amino acids are powerful chemistry that need to be used carefully :).
I’ve never been reminded by any healthcare practitioner of this need to watch carefully the sulfur levels of our food and supplements even after an adulthood of sensitivities to perfumes and scents. My own research led me to find information to help myself with reversing sensitivity via balancing my chemistry.
Thanks!
Grace Kane
Grace
This is a really good point you raise about taurine (I assume it’s only about taurine and not glutamine?). May I ask how much taurine affected you and what other dietary changes you made to reduce sulfur?
This is wonderful to hear: “I used GABA daily while weaning off of an RX. It was very helpful.” Can you share more about which medication and how you used GABA and how long you used?
I would like to see if GABA could reduce my high blood pressure. I have a supplement with dosage instructions: 1/4 metric teaspoon (0.5 g) provides 450 mg gamma-aminobutyric acid
Would this be a good dose to start off with and how long do you think one needs to take it until a positive effect is seen (if there is to be one)?
Kate
As mentioned in the blog, the study used 80 mg GABA and I typically use 125 mg for clients with anxiety. 450mg is way too high a dose for most folks to start with for any purpose.
Changes in blood pressure and other low GABA symptoms are observed right away when the ideal dose is being used. Do you have physical anxiety, insomnia and other low GABA symptoms?
And what is your blood pressure? And are you on BP medication?
When you are new to the amino acids and anxiety nutrition solutions my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is an excellent resource https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
All these other factors may come into play too: high cortisol, low blood sugar, gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gut health/parasites and not eating enough quality animal protein and health fats + organic veg and fruit – also covered in my book.
I’m 71 y/o. i have been taking GABA, tryptophan and taurine with some good results for sleep and questionable help anxiety. My blood pressure has gone down but my A1C has gone slowly up. I see that some of these affect A1C. What are your impressions. I’m not sure if I should prioritize my A1C or anxiety. Thank you.
Nancy
Both are important and I find it concerning that GABA, tryptophan and taurine may have affected your A1C. You mention “I see that some of these affect A1C” – can you please share what you have found (links would be helpful)? And how much of each you are using and what products?
Glad they are helping with sleep and somewhat with anxiety
Trudy and staff, first so sorry for your loss, I hope you are coping, grief is a hard one in life, so please take care of yourself.
I may be a bit of a challenge here, I’m a 69-year-old woman, with low to normal blood pressure, running around 110/70, even when I have high anxiety. I have been diagnosed with GAD, acute depression and PTSD topped with acute insomnia. I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression for all of my life, the PTSD and insomnia are due to a major trauma that happened 18 months ago. Was on SSRIs for over 30 years, which didn’t work, only numbed me. After searching and trying other natural remedies which didn’t really do anything for the long term, then found you and your book, so off I went with the trils. I think the acids have helped a little, it’s only been 2 months so still in the trial stages.
Rated high for both Gaba and Serotonin symptoms, plus Low Catecholamines, scored 4 and on Low Endorphins scored 3, haven’t tested acids for either of those 2, yet.
Right now I’ve been taking “Source Natural” GABA Calm, 2 lozenges up to 4-6 times throughout the day/night….for GAD anxiety, (high anxiety), in the early morning I take “Solgar” 100mg 5HTP then two GABA Calm in the mid-morning if a bad day I’ll take another 100 5HTP, 2-4 GABA Calm in the afternoon plus another 100 5HTP, at night I start with 200 L-Tryptophan “Lidtke” brand with 2.5g of NOW Inositol powder for insomnia, works until about 12:00 AM to 2-3:00 AM, (most nights I wake after 2 hours, tried 300mg of Tryptophan but ended up with major nightmares as I did with 5HTP at night). My normal for the last 18 months has been waking after 2 hours of sleep then it’s off and on with anxiety getting worse, both rumination and body anxiety, with anxiety attacks waking me up from a sound sleep, the 2 GABA Calm help a little, some nights I end up taking 2 more as I dose off and get woken with another attack. Doctors have given me several sleeping pills and they only work for a couple of nights and the side effects are horrendous. The amino acids have helped a little with the intensity of the anxiety and a little with sleep. I don’t have a problem falling asleep it’s staying asleep.
I have been starting to get more lightheadedness during the day when getting up out of a chair or car, with reading more of your blogs I’m thinking this may be the Calm GABA and also getting diarrhea every day, wondering here if it’s the Inositol? I did have heavy bouts of lightheadedness before starting the amino acids, could last for most of the day. So I’m thinking I need to switch to just a GABA powder, HOW much would one take of the powder, I have a small scale that measures grams, not micrograms. Also, would you suggest I up the 5 HTP? How much is too much? Going to try L-Theanine at night with the Tryptophan, NOW brand, minus the Inositol, or can all 3 be taken together?
I live in Portugal now and have a hard time finding a source for the amino acids, finally found
“Lidtke” Tryptophan from the UK but very expensive with shipping and it took almost a month to receive. The company iHerb ships here but some items can’t be shipped, again taking up to 3 weeks or longer. Oh how spoiled we were in the USA!
I realise this is a lot, any help or advice you can give is greatly appreciated.
My diet is quite healthy, as much as possible fresh organic vegetables with protein, chicken or fish a little pork but no beef, it’s too hard on my stomach, very little carbs, I’ve cut out coffee and sugars no processed foods for at least 25 years, if not longer. I drink 2 cups of organic green tea in the mornings with a little honey, and no alcohol in the last 18 months, now I find when I enjoy a glass of wine I’m much more depressed the next day so that will come to an end.
THANK you for all your hard work and the information you give out, grateful.
Francesca
Francesca
Thanks for your kind words – it really is appreciated
I really can’t give specific feedback via the blog but can share that the sugar alcohols in GABA Calm (esp when used at higher doses) can cause tummy upset and a mini measuring spoon set (like this one on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Q94nsI) helps with using GABA powder.
With waking in the night we look into low GABA, low serotonin (so this is on track), high cortisol, parasites, EMFs, SIBO/IBS, liver/gallbladder issues, gluten, caffeine, toxins and oxalates (to start) – this may be useful https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/waking-in-the-night-due-to-environmental-toxins-impacts-on-the-liver-gallbladder-and-fat-digestion-making-oxalate-issues-worse/
Dietary changes look good – be aware green tea does contain caffeine and can affect sleep.
If you need guidance my GABA group programs offer much support – sign up here to get notified about the next launch https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/gabaquickstart/
Thank You! Refreshing wonderful information. My Wife and I have trouble with mid-night insomnia.
We will give it a try!
Richard
You’re most welcome. Please do keep us posted
You may also find these blogs helpful:
– Waking in the night due to environmental toxins: impacts on the liver, gallbladder and fat digestion (making oxalate issues worse) https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/waking-in-the-night-due-to-environmental-toxins-impacts-on-the-liver-gallbladder-and-fat-digestion-making-oxalate-issues-worse/
– Seriphos lowers high cortisol: prevent waking in the night and nighttime anxiety https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/seriphos-lowers-high-cortisol-prevent-waking-in-the-night-and-nighttime-anxiety/