GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a calming amino acid that when taken as a supplement (ideally sublingually) works to relax, calm, ease anxiety and social anxiety, quiet the mind, help with sleeping challenges, reduce neck and other body tension, remove uneasiness and worry, and give hope.
It’s one of the main amino acids I use with my anxious clients and they see great results. We are seeing more and more research that this amino acid does work and yet I still get weekly questions about GABA: “I’ve been told it won’t work unless I have a leaky blood brain barrier.” This is a myth I’m trying to dispel and cover this topic in great detail in my GABA talk on the last Anxiety Summit.
GABA also protects against hypothyroidism caused by fluoride
Because of all this I’m always excited to see new research on the benefits of GABA and this recent study is no exception. It was an animal study and the authors report that GABA also protects against hypothyroidism caused by fluoride: γ-Aminobutyric acid ameliorates fluoride-induced hypothyroidism in male Kunming mice.
The mice that were injected with sodium fluoride were found to have decreased blood levels of T4, T3 and thyroid hormone-binding globulin (TBG) and damage to the thyroid:
fluoride intoxication induced structural abnormalities in thyroid follicles.
The fluoride-exposed mice that were subsequently treated with GABA were found to have improved results for T4, T3 and thyroid hormone-binding globulin (TBG levels) and healing of the structural abnormalities in thyroid follicles that were observed after fluoride exposure.
The authors conclude with this statement, reporting that GABA acted as a natural antioxidant:
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to establish the therapeutic efficacy of GABA as a natural antioxidant in inducing thyroprotection against fluoride-induced toxicity.
If you can’t get access to GABA, a paper published earlier this year reports similar results with taurine, an amino acid that promotes GABA production: Taurine Ameliorates Renal Oxidative Damage and Thyroid Dysfunction in Rats Chronically Exposed to Fluoride.
Added to our water supplies, fluoride affects the thyroid
Although this post is about GABA I recognize that I also have to address the fluoride aspect which I know is a controversial topic! We all know that fluoride has been added to our water supplies in an attempt to try and prevent tooth decay. Izabella Wentz, author of the new book Hashimoto’s Protocol, writes about what she calls the Fluoride Conspiracy:
However, most people don’t know that fluoride was used as an antithyroid drug that suppressed thyroid activity in people with overactive thyroids before the invention of antithyroid drugs.
A dose of 2 to 5 mg per day was typically found to be effective for suppressing an overactive thyroid. If you’re following directions and drinking your eight cups of water each day, chances are, you are taking in enough fluoride to suppress your thyroid if you live in the typical fluoridated community!
While most Westernized countries have rightfully rejected fluoridation without any apparent consequences on tooth decay, the United States, Canada, and parts of the UK continue to fluoridate their water.
In research that was way overdue, a 2015 British study reported that medical practices in a fluoridated area of the UK (West Midlands vs. those in a nonfluoridated area, Greater Manchester) were twice as likely to report a high prevalence of hypothyroidism in their patients! Furthermore, analysis of different parts of the UK found that the rates of hypothyroidism were statistically matched to the rates of fluoride in the local water supply!
Medications and other sources of fluoride
Izabella also lists some of the most commonly used medications that contain fluoride in this blog post: Fluoride And Your Thyroid
- Prozac®, Lexapro®, Celexa®, Paxil®: used for depression, anxiety, or OCD
- Prevacid®: used for acid reflux
- Diflucan®: an antifungal used for yeast infections.
- Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro®, Levaquin®, Avelox®): used for UTIs and other infections
- Celebrex®: used for pain
- Lipitor®, Zetia®: used to lower cholesterol
Other common sources of fluoride are fluoridated toothpastes and dental preparations, processed beverages and foods, pesticides, tea, mechanically deboned meat, Teflon pans and exposure in the workplace. You can read more about these sources from The Fluoride Action Network (FAN), an organization that seeks to broaden awareness about the toxicity of fluoride compounds among citizens, scientists, and policymakers alike.
The GABA and taurine hypothyroid-fluoride research is too new to have made it into Izabella’s book but since anxiety is a common symptom in hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and based on this research, using either GABA or taurine shows promise for helping both the thyroid to heal after fluoride exposure (via water, medications, diet or workplace exposure) AND to help reduce the physical anxiety symptoms.
It seems to be a two-way street because we’ve always known that the amino acids will be effective for addressing low GABA and low serotonin levels ONLY when thyroid health is optimal (and not many people are aware of this).
I also can’t help but wonder if a small amount of GABA (or taurine) wouldn’t be helpful after known exposure to fluoride sources and certainly while you are working to reduce fluoride exposure – even if hypothyroidism is not a problem. I look forward to future research in this area.
If you’d like an overview of how I use GABA and the other amino acids with my clients you can read all about it here.
I’d love to hear if you have observed an improvement in thyroid health since using GABA for your anxiety? And how dedicated you are to avoid fluoride?
Good job!
For more on fluoride and thyroid, see 2016 letter and citations to American Thyroid Association signed by 3 doctors, a dentist, a scientist and a lawyer. The ATA has failed to respond. http://www.ehcd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016_02_11_ATALtrCWF.pdf
Karen
Thank you for sharing this excellent summary of the issues – and all heavily supported by research. I’d love to know your connection with EHCD / Environmental Health Center Dallas (http://www.ehcd.com/)? Are they are aware of the benefits of GABA for hypothyroidism caused by fluoride exposure?
Hi Trudy, which GABA and L-Tryptophan supplements do you recommend? Thank you!
Kortney
All the supplements I use are here http://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/
hi dr. Trudy i am using liposomial gaba i would like to ask if i have to keep it all my life or can i suspend it?
Anna
I can’t consult via the blog without knowing your health history or why you’re using it. Some of my clients are on GABA long term (poor gut health, tapering from benzodiazepines, SIBO, Lyme disease, PANDAS, toxin exposure etc) but typically if all root causes are addressed and diet is ideal then a person should be able to stop using it. I’m curious about liposomial gaba and the product you’re using.
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.it/liposomal-gaba-with-l-theanine-50-ml
This is My supplement What you think ? Thank
Anna
I am familiar with it but haven’t used it with clients. The question I’d ask is does it work to reduce low GABA symptoms. I’d love to hear feedback once you use it – thanks
Hi Trudy,
I looked at your blog with the different amino acid brands you recommend. You wrote Vitamin C negates any amino acid. Am I understanding that correctly? I currently take high doses (~24000mg/day-ascorbic acid, powder form) of Vitamin C for its immune boosting properties. I do not take any amino acid supplements. Regardless, would high doses of Vitamin C affect all amino acids I am consuming in my food and supplement form, if I were to take them?
And on a side note, my husband tried rooibos tea, steeped long, black with a splash of lemon (and then added stevia after trying it that way because he didn’t like it). He said it made him more tired than giving him energy. He’s trying to wean from coffee (none for about 2 months or so), to black tea (none for a few days), to green tea (none for a few days), to no caffeine. He tried his first cup of rooibos at about 10 in the morning, after having peppermint herb tea after waking early in the morning. He really enjoys the taste and warmth especially of coffee, but tolerates caffeinated tea as an alternative. Any suggestions of how to enjoy rooibos differently? Or is it an acquired taste? Or perhaps we’re looking for a miracle from rooibos and shouldn’t expect that?
Thank you!
Ann
As long as the vitamin C is taken away from the amino acids it won’t have an effect.
I have not heard someone say that rooibos made them more tired and would suspect its more the lack of caffeine. I use tyrosine for clients wanting to quit coffee – assuming they score low on the catecholamines (http://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/). We also address poor adrenal function if needed. Carob, Tecchino and Dandyblend are nice for those who “enjoy the taste and warmth especially of coffee”.
Hi Trudy, I was wondering how do you know if your hypothyroid is caused by fluoride?
as always….Kaye
Kaye
I don’t know if we can know for sure but I’d go through the list of possible fluoride sources and see if they apply
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.it/liposomal-gaba-with-l-theanine-50-ml
THIS IS MY SUPPLEMENT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? thank
Anna
I am familiar with it but haven’t used it with clients. The question I’d ask is does it work to reduce low GABA symptoms. I’d love to hear feedback once you use it – thanks
i think THAT FUNCTIONS,it think it WOULD BE WORTHY ! grazie dott TRUDY SORRY FOR MY MANY REPLY
Hi Trudy, I know you have been here a little while but welcome to Australia. We are fluoridated here as well. Qld was one of the last to add it to our water, I live on the Gold Coast and it was 6 years ago when council decided to add it. I was already chronically unwell and I actually got a lot worse. But it did not dawn on me until about a year and a half ago that the fluoride could be making me worse. Although I’ve always had a filter on my tap water I was also unaware that ordinary filters don’t filter it out. So then I went on a giant search for how to get it out and its very sad that there’s no real healthy and affordable way to do it. Some said reverse osmosis but that leaves water acidic and dead, others distilled but water once again dead. Some purported to be able to put a whole house filtration system on that took it out to 98%. But extremely expensive. And who knows if they’re telling the truth.
In the end I opted for a filter on my tap that my filter company reckons filters out about 49%. And then I bought a pottery gravity feed filter with a newly developed candle filter from the UK. That says filters out up to 90%.
I then fill that pot filter with filtered water from my tap , so double filtering and hope to God they’re filtering most of it out.
Of course I stopped using fluoride toothpaste as well.
Its so not fair. And we have a group campaigning council to get it back out. Each council up here can choose to put it in or not. Some have opted out. I wish ours would.
In hindsight I don’t think it’s a coincidence I got a lot sicker once they put it in.
Sorry for the rant.
Jodie
I’m sorry to hear this! Thanks for sharing all this – very helpful and information that is new to me as I haven’t yet dug into how things are done in Australia.
I also just found this New Zealand group http://fluoridefree.org.nz/ There are a few Australian sites but I haven’t had a chance to check them out to see if they are real or bogus. If you know of any please so share them
Not only Fluoride and Fluorine containing chemicals & medications will bind to and effectively destroy Iodine function , required for proper Thyroid Function. Where I live, in Alberta Canada, is on the East side of the Rocky Mountains, thus shielding the soils from iodine coming from the Pacific Ocean. So soil Iodine is low to non-existent here. But now we have Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing) of “tight” oil wells. The Fracking Biocides are usually based on Bromine containing hydrocarbons. These compounds are released into the air when the “Flow-Back” is flared or incinerated at the Fracked well sites. Bromine also competes with Iodine and will displace it in the body. Thus in this area, we will have yet more people suffering from low iodine and so yet more hypothyroidism and all the consequences of poor Thyroid function. Crazy!!
Rupert
Thanks for reminding me about this particular problem with fracking – which has so many problems! I’m sharing this Smithsonian article that discusses bromine, chlorine and radium: Radioactive Wastewater From Fracking Is Found in a Pennsylvania Stream (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/radioactive-wastewater-from-fracking-is-found-in-a-pennsylvania-stream-351641/)
I’m sorry to hear you’re being exposed to this – it’s a crazy world we live in!
Hi Trudy
Thank you for all the help you give us so freely and generously!!
I have Hashimotos and suffer from anxiety…I want to try GABA but need to find a cost effective source due to limited income and insurance not covering costs…can you recommend a brand?
I have had trouble raising my Naturethroid and am being told it’s probably an adrenal issue…will GABA still work properly? Do you have any suggestions for improving adrenals? I have reduced stress, improved nutrition and drink the adrenal cocktail from time to time…thank you in advance!!
Hi Teri, I was just wondering what adrenal cocktail you are talking about as I have adrenal issues too. Thank you Kaye
Hi Kaye
It consists of 4 Oz. of Orange Juice – fresh squeezed is best, but not essential (the Vitamin-C Complex makes sure that the minerals noted below get to the Liver to then nourish the Adrenals)
1/4 tsp of Cream of Tartar (this is an excellent source of Potassium or you can use Potassium Bicarbonate)
1/4 tsp of fresh ground Real Salt or Sea Salt (this is an excellent source of Sodium & 90+ other minerals)
What we recommend is that our clients prepare a Thermos at the start of the day with enough liquid for two (2) applications (i.e. at least 8 Oz. of fresh-squeezed Orange Juice) and drink it mid-morning (~10am), as well as mid-afternoon (~3pm). In addition, any time that you are feeling particularly anxious it would be advisable to prepare another mixture and take it.
Teri, umm is this for all adrenal problems or for adrenal fatigue? Your clients? Do u have a practice of some sort? What size thermos? I have used many different brands of GABA. And when I first started getting anxiety years ago, it really helped along with seriphos cuz cortisol levels were high and overall cortisol is off charts most often. So cant use most adaptogens. The GABA worked for years at just lowering the angst but as time went on it stopped working and have had to resort to taurine, ltheonine etc. I am now using Relora. I thing the brand of GABA I used mostly was Michael Murrays PharmaGaba and Now brand cuz it was cheaper and seemed to be a good brand. Murrays is more expensive but comes in 200mg I believe and is chewable. I used to have problems even using thyroid but gradually was able to use it. I too have hypothyroidism but not sure about hashimotos. In the past I did have antibodies but now they are gone but I use Westhroid now and I do have nodules and am using single near infrared light to see if it will shrink them. Not sure if this is helpful ….hope so 🙂 Love K
Hi Kaye!
I was in a hurry to send you the cocktail recipe and just copied it from the Magnesium website…I didn’t see the extra info on the bottom;). I do not have a practice or clients. This is what I have used for adrenal fatigue. Mine is not severe, so I am continually working on healing them.
I appreciate your feedback and info…will look into the brands you suggested. May your health continue to improve!!
Teri
Hi Teri, wow you didn’t have to hurry!! LOL.. How do you know you have adrenal fatigue? I have read some info on Dr. Lams website and he says that he doesn’t go by saliva testing. So not sure how you would know. Thank you for your prompt reply! 🙂 Luv, K
Just a mention, Dr. Brownstein (https://drbrownstein.com/) has several health books. The one on iodine (Iodine: Why You Need It…) covers the problem with fluoride which blocks iodine. I had my iodine, fluoride and bromide levels tested and then did Dr. B’s protocol to lower fluoride and bromide so that iodine could increase. It’s good data, and I thought it might be a good adjunct to the topic of fluoride and anxiety. Best wishes, and thank you, Trudy!
Donna
Thanks for sharing and this makes total sense. I’d love to hear what test you had done for iodine, fluoride and bromide, and what protocol you did to lower fluoride and bromide so that iodine could increase? How long did it take to shift?
Hello …. was it your talk that touched on detoxing from benzodiazepine? Want to listen …
Pauline
I talk about benzodiazepines in my interview on the DIY Detox summit. You can register here to listen http://healthaffiliate.center/739-53.html I have additional information on my blog – simple search for benzodiazepines
Thank you for this helpful article. I am confused about GABA and the thyroid. The study you talk about here seems to indicate that GABA can be helpful to those of us who are hypothyroid, at least when fluoride or bromine are contributing factors.
However, I am also reading studies that show GABA suppresses production of TSH by the thyroid and therefore suppresses production of T3 and T4. So, I am at a loss whether to try to increase my GABA levels or not.
I do not sleep well do to racing brain and RLS, and I read a study that showed people with RLS have elevated levels of glutamate, which stimulates neurons. If I understand correctly, raising GABA can counteract this problem and allow for better sleep. And indeed I tried lemon balm (which is supposed to support GABA) and it helps me sleep so much better!
However, now I am concerned that it and any other GABA-related supplement might suppress my thyroid further. I was encouraged to find your article, however I stopped using fluoride a decade ago and do not have fluoridated water or use any pharmaceuticals, so I don’t think fluoride is my issue. So, is GABA only indicated for hypothyroid patients who have too much fluoride?
V
Please share a link to the study so I can comment
Dear Trudy,
Apparently, Hashimoto’s underactive thyroid can inhibit the absorption or action of amino acids such as gaba. My question is : should a Hashimoto patient have a different dosage ?
Thank you very much
Anna
The amino acids are less effective when the thyroid is not functioning well. This could happen with untreated Hashimoto’s or underactive thyroid. If treated it should be fine. If not treated more may be needed for good results but the best way to know is to do a trial.
V Miller previously asked about the thyroid suppressing effect of gaba. One abstract mentions it here.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7250001_Thyroid_hormone_and_-aminobutyric_acid_GABA_interactions_in_neuroendocrine_systems
I’ve read that gaba is high in adult hypothyroid brain. I have horrible anxiety so I want to try gaba but also have many hypo symptoms and not doing well getting regulated.. Feeling very confused.
Robert
I’ll get hold of the full paper and report back. I can share that, clinically, I have not seen this to be an issue
I am soon to be 55 and I was diagnosed at 8 to not have a thyroid. The doctor told us of course I would just be treated as though I was hypothyroid. Anger, anxiety, mood swings, depression, suicide attempts, joint paint, sleep deprivation, borderline diabetes, so many things I’m learning are direct symptoms of hypothyroidism. I have spent so many MANY years hearing people say just learn to deal with it, it’s not a big deal. Just take your pill you will be fine. From the ages of 6-8 I was treated with very heavy fluoride treatments for my teeth. They squeezed this thick gel goo on sponges and made me bite down on them and sit. leaving a little kid in a room and say “oh don’t swallow it” then it would build up spit so heavy I didn’t have a choice after resitting like that for 10 min I had to swallow it.
I HOOE with all my heart that what we have learned in the last few years helps people and prevents them from going through what I have dealt with my entire life!!!!!
Thank you for caring!
Michelle
Gosh I’m sorry to hear this and appreciate you for sharing here. I’m hoping you’ve found nutritional solutions now for the anger, anxiety, mood swings, depression, suicide attempts, joint paint, sleep deprivation and borderline diabetes – things like GABA, tryptophan, lithium orotate, gluten-free diet etc
If not, be sure to read my book The Antianxiety Food Solution https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ for a comprehensive approach.
Hi, I have taken Gaba in the past to sleep and it worked well but I am prone to sleep paralysis and was having more episodes (which is terrifying) so I stopped. But I’ve since been diagnosed as sub clinical hypothyroid (which they won’t treat). I also have some sort of inflammatory arthritis and a lot of issues with pain in various joints and tendons which seems to get better and worse though I’m not certain of why.
Anyhow my question is if I take Gaba in the am instead of at night might that help avoid the sleep paralysis?
Finally I have also felt at times that taking gaba increased my anxiety/panic feelings, again not sure why. I also seem to have pots (a lot of tachycardia) and often things that most people consider downers have the anxiety affect in me, I think because of norepinephrine rebound.
Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks
Shannon
When I hear “taking gaba increased my anxiety/panic feelings” I’d suspect too high a dose of GABA. I have clients start with 125mg and less when they are very sensitive. I’m curious how much you use?
I’m not familiar with sleep paralysis but any time something is made worse with GABA, we suspect the dose or question whether low GABA is the issue. Since it’s worked in the past I’d be trying to figure out the ideal dose.
If you feel like you need support the GABA Quickstart program may be a good option when it opens up again https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/gabaquickstart/