GABA supplements don’t work – GABA is too big a molecule to get across the blood brain barrier. They don’t typically work unless you have a leaky gut which means you have a leaky brain” (also referred to as leaky blood brain barrier/BBB).
This is one of the most common myths I hear about GABA. Neither of the above statements are true. I stand by my recommendations of GABA Calm and other GABA products as an effective way to boost GABA levels that are low, and ease physical anxiety symptoms and the other symptoms you can experience with low GABA levels.
A few weeks ago, Suzanne asked a question on the blog after hearing a doctor state the above about GABA supplements not working for anxiety. She was justifiably confused and concerned:
I stumbled across this video on Youtube and am seeking your thoughts on it please. In my quest to achieve a state of calm as naturally as possible, I research a lot of stuff. I have always taken on board the knowledge you share about GABA.
The video, made by a quite well known fitness trainer, focuses on GABA. Your team suggested I time stamp the part of the video of interest, but frankly, there are poignant points made throughout.
I would be really appreciative if you have time to watch it, as now I’m unsure that the GABA Calm I have purchased, and yet to take, is in fact, going to be effective.
The video she had watched was a very recent Youtube video where a well-known fitness trainer interviews an integrative medical doctor. It’s the doctor who said: “GABA supplements don’t work.”
I reassured Suzanne and provided her with some additional reading (more on that below). This topic has been discussed by me before but it’s time for another blog post that gathers the information into one place. Hopefully it offers you confidence if you are also uncertain and can be a resource for you to share with the naysayers or those who just don’t yet know that GABA supplements really do work (when used in a specific way)!
The effects of GABA supplements may be exerted through BBB passage or indirectly, via an effect on the enteric nervous system (but we don’t really know)
I first discussed GABA and the blood brain barrier controversy during one of my interviews during The Anxiety Summit in 2016. I shared this October 2015 paper, Neurotransmitters as food supplements: the effects of GABA on brain and behavior, which states that we don’t really know how GABA supplements work:
There is some evidence in favor of a calming effect of GABA food supplements, but most of this evidence was reported by researchers with a potential conflict of interest. We suggest that any veridical effects of GABA food supplements on brain and cognition might be exerted through BBB passage or, more indirectly, via an effect on the enteric nervous system. We conclude that the mechanism of action of GABA food supplements is far from clear, and that further work is needed to establish the behavioral effects of GABA.
I also discuss the fact that GABA’s relaxing effect may be due to peripheral effects rather than the effect on/in the brain. Here is an excerpt from this paper: GABA-receptors in peripheral tissues
GABA and its receptors are found in a wide range of peripheral tissues, including parts of the peripheral nervous system, endocrine, and non-neural tissues such as smooth muscle and the female reproductive system.
Feel free to read more about this here
Valuable feedback about GABA’s effectiveness from other practitioners
Dr. Josh Friedman, integrative psychotherapist uses amino acids and other nutritional approaches in his practice:
[GABA] is definitely something I use. I am not a biochemist, so I actually don’t really know whether it crosses the blood/brain barrier, nor do I care actually. The first question should be, is it harmful? Are any of these things going to cause harm? And the answer with all the amino acids is no, they’re not going to cause harm, especially when compared to psychiatric medicines. The second question is, does it work? Is it helpful for our patients that we see in our practice? Yes it is.
Jonathan Prousky, ND, MSc, editor of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine and author of Anxiety: Orthomolecular Diagnosis and Treatment shared this in our season 2 interview: Tapering off psychiatric drugs so they do not ruin your life
I have found GABA to be invariably helpful and I don’t really know exactly how GABA works but I know it to be very, very safe and, to me, that is fundamentally important. It’s not associated with any withdrawal, with any tolerance, with any habituation, so people can try it without a lot of concern.
I feel the same way – GABA supplementation works, it is safe and it doesn’t really matter how it works.
Dr. Kharrazian’s GABA Challenge for a leaky blood brain barrier is a theory
In addition to sharing the above with Suzanne, I also shared this blog with her: Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s GABA Challenge for a leaky blood brain barrier is a theory and we still have much to learn.
I had the pleasure of interviewing him late in 2019 and we talked about his GABA challenge for testing for a leaky blood brain barrier. Read the above blog to learn how Dr. Kharrazian came up with the GABA Challenge and the fact that it’s just a theory.
GABA case studies/success stories if you’re still unsure
If you’re still unsure I encourage you to read the many case studies published in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” and on this blog. Here are some of them:
- My 6 year old was having panic attacks getting out of the car for Kindergarten: GABA has completely relieved him of his fears
- GABA Calm is a game changer for husband’s sound and tactile hypersensitivity, significant coordination problems and his anxiety
- GABA lessens anxiety, agitation and defiance in 98 year old mother who has been “sundowning” for a couple of years
- Her mum just passed away and although she is sad, GABA allows her to sit with a feeling of peace and calm most of the time
- PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome): GABA helped ease lifelong anxiety, wean off anxiety medication, ovulate each month and stop PCOS meds
- GABA helps ease symptoms of anger, rage, and dark moods (symptoms we typically associate with low serotonin)
- GABA worked amazingly for 18-year-old during a MCAS/histamine flare, helping with OCD, anxiety, rage and skin issues
Do a trial of GABA and use it in a specific way
Doing a trial of GABA is another way to find out how effective it is. Keep in mind GABA will only work if you have the low GABA type of physical anxiety, stiff and tense muscles, insomnia caused by low GABA, overwhelm and panic attacks, and other low GABA symptoms. You can see all the low GABA symptoms here.
Also, GABA needs to be used in a specific way. It is most effective provided it’s used as a sublingual, liposomal, a powder or capsules opened on to the tongue or rubbed inside the cheek, or as a GABA cream (as you’ll read in the case studies above). It’s best to start low – at 125mg – and increase from there based on your own unique needs. I believe many practitioners are not on board because they have clients and patients swallow GABA capsules, and often use high dose GABA capsules.
I appreciate Suzanne for asking this question and I’m hoping my feedback gave you and her confidence.
It also helps me to know what is still being taught so I can offer educational resources – for both the consumer like Suzanne and practitioners – and hopefully further the field.
Am I surprised to hear that this myth is still being shared? Not really. So I’ll continue to share what I know and the wonderful GABA success stories so this message gets out there.
Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and the other amino acids as supplements
We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA or low serotonin or low endorphins or low dopamine or low blood sugar may be an issue for you.
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.
How many times have you heard this myth about GABA not working? How long ago and where from?
Has GABA helped you? If yes, I’m thrilled for you. Please do share how it’s helped, how much helps and how you use GABA (as a sublingual, liposomal, a powder or capsules opened on to the tongue or inside the cheek, or as a GABA cream)?
If you’re a practitioner do you have success using GABA this way with your clients/patients? And were you also taught – in the past – that GABA supplements don’t work or taught the GABA leaky BBB theory?
Feel free to share and ask your questions below.
Gaba Source Natural lozenges is exactly what I need. I have morning anxiety which can lead to an anxiety attack or depression if I don’t take it. It stops the racing thoughts within minutes.
Fina
Wonderful to hear GABA Calm Source Natural lozenges work so well for your morning anxiety/stopping the racing thoughts and preventing an anxiety attack and depression.
I am curious to hear if you were ever skeptical about the effectiveness of GABA because of what is being said about it not crossing the BBB?
You don’t mention diet but if this hasn’t been addressed yet I encourage you to also check out my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ to explore all the possible root causes that may be contributing to the anxiety – like gluten, gut health, sugar, caffeine etc.
Dear Trudy, your recommendation of using GABA for anal cramps has changed my life. I don’t experience them often but when I do they are nasty. A crushed pill or open capsule on the tongue works wonders, almost instantly. However, I want to add, after hearing your presentation on the Parkinson’s summit and your mention of relief from physical tension, that taking 500mg relieves body ache in hips and legs. I’m 75, and have recently developed debilitating body aches. Taking one twice/day a.m. and p.m. has made a huge difference. Thank you for your brilliant blog.
Merril
Thanks for sharing how GABA has helped with your anal cramps/rectal spasms (info shared here for other readers https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/how-gaba-eases-agonizing-rectal-pain-spasms/)
Wonderful to hear GABA is also helping with body aches in hips and legs.
I am curious to hear if you were ever skeptical about the effectiveness of GABA because of what is being said about it not crossing the BBB?
You don’t mention diet but if this hasn’t been addressed yet I encourage you to also check out my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ to explore all the possible root causes that may be contributing to the rectal spasms and body pain – like gluten, gut health/SIBO, sugar etc.
I don’t cover oxalates in my book but with body aches and pain I’d also explore this aspect. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/low-oxalate-success-stories-resolution-of-joint-body-pain-insomnia-peripheral-neuropathy-and-can-walk-without-a-cane/
I am curious to hear if you’ve also experienced other benefits like improved sleep or feeling less stressed or not as anxious?
Merril
I did a new blog to share your wonderful results to give others hope and inspiration. It also includes more detail and some additional info not mentioned in my comment above. Here is that link
https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-works-wonders-for-anal-cramps-almost-instantly-and-relieves-body-aches-in-the-hips-and-legs-of-a-75-year-old-woman/
Thanks again for sharing your results with us
Can I use gaba to wean myself of citalopram (SSRI). Also if successful can I continue to use gaba or is there a time limit . I am taking citalopram due to a sleep problem which was confirmed during a dna test and I have permanent problems falling asleep
Jenifer
SSRIs work on serotonin and typically tryptophan or 5-HTP is used to support tapering – but always with the prescribing doctor on board/monitoring and always done very very very slowly. That said GABA can also help if there are low GABA symptoms too. Problems falling asleep can occur with both low GABA and/or low serotonin.
I always have clients do the amino acid symptoms questionnaire and go from there https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
I encourage you to also check out my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ to explore all the possible root causes that may be contributing to your sleep problems – there are many overlaps like gluten, blood sugar, gut health, sugar, caffeine etc
I am curious to learn what DNA test was done and what was found?
My DNA was profiled by The DNA Company based in America. (Saliva test).saying I had a sub optimal profile for genes influencing my circadian rhythms.GABA does help me get to sleep, but my doctor told me it was habit forming. I’d rather be dependant on gaba rather than SSRI if it’s safe to use long term.
Jenifer
May I ask which genes/SNPs they identified as being an influence on circadian rhythms?
I suspect your doctor may have been talking about gabapentin which is habit forming. The amino acid GABA is not habit forming. More on that here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-is-not-the-same-as-gabapentin-gaba-gamma-aminobutyric-acid-is-an-amino-acid-supplement-gabapentin-is-a-prescription-medication/
Trudy,
Thank you for all the excellent content on this blog. I have known of your work for years but am only digging into it recently.
A question about GABA:
My understanding is that Xanax works on GABA. Would the fact that someone experiences a “Xanax high” when taking Xanax short-term for anxiety/panic per se indicate that the GABA Calm protocol is worth a try?
I wish to avoid benzos for the usual reasons, however, like many people, Xanax seems to be “the one thing that really works.” Desperately looking for alternatives – and the best place to start.
Loring
When someone benefits from Xanax or another benzodiazepine it’s a good clue that GABA supplements will work but I always have clients do the amino acid symptoms questionnaire and go from there if they have signs of low GABA. https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
Keep in mind many folks do really well with GABA Calm but some folks need to experiment to find the right GABA product for their unique needs.
I encourage you to also check out my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ to explore all the possible root causes that may be contributing to your anxiety and low GABA.
I personally find that pharmaGABA (natural GABA) has a 100% hit rate for calming anxious body feelings, and l-theanine is particularly effective at calming anxious circular THINKING. Often, I don’t need the theanine, because when my body calms down after taking pharmaGABA, then so also does my brain. I’ve noticed this in the past, that mental anxiety for me can be reflexive to signals from my body.
I sometimes have pain at the bra strap line in my back ribs, which coincides with feeling anxious. When I’ve taken pain killer to remove that sensation, the anxious mind goes away too. Of course, I prefer to use amino acids, and thanks to the aminos, I don’t need to use pain meds very often. I also don’t feel I HAVE to understand the mechanism to enjoy the benefits of something that works, but I’m a physiology geek, so think about these things a lot.
I’ve concluded that perhaps GABA cannot cross the BBB like theanine can, but with so many body receptors for GABA calming the body, and with communication between body and brain, GABA can often do the trick of calming both body and mind. I gotta say, that my absolute favourite combo is pharmaGABA taken together with l-theanine. That’s simply a magic bullet for me.
Meesh
Wonderful to hear pharmaGABA and theanine work so well for you. Some folks do find they work better for them than GABA itself.
I like this: “I also don’t feel I HAVE to understand the mechanism to enjoy the benefits of something that works”
And yes there are GABA receptors all over the body and the gut connection with the brain is a huge factor.
Hi
My insomnia gene is CLOCK;CT , I have also a suboptimal BDNF gene
(BDNF;AG). Is GABA safe to take every day or only for a specific number of weeks.
Thank you for taking an interest it is much appreciated.
Jennifer
Thanks I’ll do some reading on the CLOCK gene.
GABA is safe to use daily as long as someone has low GABA symptoms and using GABA improves the symptoms.
Keep us posted as to how you do
Hello,
Yesterday I took about 80 mg of Gaba dissolved in a small amount of water and swallowed immediately. After a few minutes, I felt dizzy, I felt like I was going to faint, and after 15 minutes my whole body felt tense and my anxiety increased. I was slightly dazed, but at the same time everything made me nervous. After 3 hours, I drank an infusion of Melissa officinalis and only then did my muscles start to relax and my anxiety go away. Before going to bed, I drank lemon balm infusion for the second time and took 1 mg of melatonin. I became drowsy and when falling asleep I had a very strange feeling of heaviness of my whole body, as if it weighed 1000 kg and as if I had sunk into the mattress. Half an hour after falling asleep, my baby woke me up and I couldn’t fall back asleep. Is Gaba not good for me? I’ve been having trouble sleeping in general since I stopped taking tyrosine about a week ago. Only alprazolam allows me to relax and fall asleep peacefully, but I don’t want to take it every day so as not to become addicted, I thought it was a problem with gaba deficiency.
Patricia
Too much GABA can cause dizziness, flushing and increased anxiety. I typically have clients start with 125mg so 80mg is a very low dose but can be too much for some folks or too much if GABA is not low. More on this here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/how-much-gaba-should-i-use-for-my-anxiety-it-depends-on-your-unique-needs-and-there-is-an-extremely-large-variation-in-dosing/
I would be concerned about tolerance, dependence, withdrawal and rebound symptoms with alprazolam
I have been taking GabaCalm for over a year. I’m no sure if it is bringing the relief I need, as the anxiety still greets me in the early morning hours and lasts throughout the day. Also, I have Sjogren’s Syndrome, which causes a chronic burning tongue. I have a feeling that the orange/citrus flavor of the tablet it causing the burning to get worse. Can you recommend a good alternative? I looked on line for a non-flavored form, but the other flavor was peppermint. That would be worse.
Annette
GABA Calm offers relief quickly i.e. within a few minutes. If it’s not helping I have clients increase to find the ideal dose, switch to another form of GABA or look for other root causes of the anxiety – like low serotonin, high cortisol, gluten, caffeine etc – all covered in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
I list some GABA only products here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/
I have struggled all my life with irritability, anxiety and depression, especially after my kids were born in the 1990s and after a T-DAP “vaccine” in 2016 that I thought was only a tetanus “vaccine”. Now that I turned 60 last December, I realize that menopause has caused me to be very irritable and angry a lot.
I have tried a few medications before I started on my quest for natural alternatives but they stopped working after a few weeks or months. Herbs like Rhodiola worked well for a while but then not so much. Until I found Trudy’s blog, I only knew a little about L-theanine and not much about GABA or other amino acids for my symptoms.
I bought Now Gaba 750 mg and started taking it in the morning several months ago and it has worked like a miracle! Initially, I did not have any dizziness but just felt a brighter mood, was more relaxed and had less anxiety, irritability, and anger. It’s my chill pill. To be honest, it has worked better than anything else I have tried in 30 years.
I also have Now Gaba 500 mg with B6 which I can take during work hours and it puts me in a better mood to deal with people. I take a good food based multivitamin and mineral supplement and have added occasional B6 and extra zinc for pyroluria symptoms.
I am a testament to all that GABA does work and even my son has commented that I seem so much better and much calmer. Thank you Trudy!!
Robin
What wonderful feedback – it warms my heart to hear results about GABA like this – thanks for sharing! Love that you learned about this from my blog too.
I am curious how you landed on 750mg GABA and if that’s where you started? I have clients start much lower (125mg or less) and they build up to higher doses based on initial and ongoing relief. It is used swallowed or capsule opened on the tongue (which tends to be more effective)? And the GABA 500mg with B6 – how is that used? Either way, I’m thrilled you figured out what works for you – we love “It’s my chill pill” and “To be honest, it has worked better than anything else I have tried in 30 years.”
Love that you son has noticed too! When GABA helps one person like this, it has great indirect benefits of keeping the entire family in balance too!
Hi Trudy!
To be honest, I did not do a lot of research on dosing for gaba and I didn’t have your book yet before I tried it. I searched on iherb.com and the Now brand 750mg and 500 mg gaba came up. I started with 750 mg in the morning for a few weeks and my mood was so much better! After a while I did start to notice a little dizziness, which I didn’t realize was from the gaba until I looked at your blog again, so I stopped taking it for a few days. Now I take it after work if I feel I need it. Once I learned that I should have started with a lower dose I bought the 500 mg with B6. I also take 200 mg of l-theanine before bed and it helps me sleep better and not wake up panicky. I have found that if I take the l-theanine at bed time, I wake up in a better mood and don’t need as much Gaba during the day. I work from home doing phone customer service and if I’m feeling annoyed or irritable I’ll take the 500 mg Gaba with B6 to get through my day. If I’m still annoyed after work I may take a 750 mg. One morning I woke up really angry for some unknown reason. (I don’t think I took the l-theanine at bedtime.) I took a 750 mg Gaba and it calmed me down so I was able to get through my day. I think a lot of my irritability and easy anger is due to menopause but it seems to run in the family through my mother and her paternal grandmother. I gave up alcohol for the most part a few years ago and had a lot of stressful events in my life including a breakup of an 11-year relationship. That led to a lot of anxiety, anger, depression and stress. I have tried to manage all this with a better diet and herbs and supplements but it wasn’t until I tried Gaba and L-theanine that I saw better relief. Everyone has stuff that they go through in life but I am so grateful to have found your blog and your book! All the talk in psychology has been about low serotonin for years and years. It wasn’t until I found your blog and book that I realized there were other amino acids that one could be deficient in, like Gaba, and that would work much better for some of us. My son’s girlfriend who is a psych major really got it. She said no wonder people feel bad and blah on SSRIs, they don’t have low serotonin, they’re probably low in Gaba. I sent her all your info and she passed it along to one of her friends too. I will be forever grateful to you Trudy!! thank you so much for everything! I appreciate being able to share my story with you and hope it helps others! I tell everyone I know about your information and about Gaba.
Hi Trudy I follow your website but living in Malaysia means I have restrictions on what products I can bring into the country. My husband is suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and one of the symptoms he has apart from chronic fatigue and brain fog is a zero resilience to any problems that arise and he is what he calls a ‘nervous wreck.’ I wonder if GABA would help him as I can buy this via iHerb who are allowed to ship here. There is no cure and little research on it but sufferers use trial and error to see what works for them.
Sheila
Sorry to hear your husband is struggling with “zero resilience to any problems that arise and he is what he calls a ‘nervous wreck.’”. In situations like this I have clients review the low GABA symptoms (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/) and if they resonate with them we do a trial of low dose GABA and increase until we find the ideal dose.
If you find you need support and the ability to ask questions I now offer an online group program – the GABA Quickstart https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/gabaquickstart/ There is a sign up for the wait list for the next LIVE cohort and a more affordable homestudy only version with no live Q&A
With CFS we also look into pyroluria https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-link/
My book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is an excellent resource for diet, amino acids and pyroluria https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
Hi Trudy many thanks for your prompt response and I will discuss all of this with my husband’s GP who is very supportive.
I will read all of the links but what would you consider to be a low dose please?
Thanks
Sheila
GABA 125mg and less for sensitive folks. There is a section on GABA in the amino acids chapter of my book.
Hi Trudy! I hope you can address this question quickly since I have a dental appointment that requires antibiotics in a few days. Is it safe and effective to take GABA with antibiotics? Since my heart valve surgery I need to take antibiotics for every dental appointment. I have a MAJOR 3 hour dental appointment in a few days and would love to be able to take GABA for as much comfort as possible! Thanks so much!
Stephanie
I have not seen GABA to be an issue when someone has been prescribed an antibiotic and it may even be helpful due to microbiome disruption contributing to reduced GABA levels
But it all depends on the actual antibiotics and each person’s situation. Using GABA (and any supplement) with meds always needs to be discussed with the prescribing doctor/medical team. In a situation like this – after heart valve surgery – I would be especially cautious.
This study is may be helpful to share with the medical team/dentist https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-and-theanine-for-sedation-anxiety-and-cognition-in-preoperative-surgical-patients-a-randomized-controlled-study/
Thank you for your quick attention to my question. I did not see anything about the safety and efficacy of taking antibiotics and GABA? Do you have any research studies that address this combination? I certainly need the antibiotics to be effective in preventing bacteria from getting to my heart – as the surgeon said 1 bacteria to my heart would be life threatening AND I want be able to take GABA for calm/composure for the 3 hour dental appointment. What would you do? Thank you!
Stephanie
I’m not aware of any issues with taking antibiotics with GABA but would discuss with the dentist/medical team. The heart value surgery and use of GABA may be of more concern and should be discussed with the heart surgeon.