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Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s GABA Challenge for a leaky blood brain barrier is a theory and we still have much to learn

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gaba challenge theory

I highly respect Dr. Datis Kharrazian and his work and had the pleasure of interviewing him last November on the Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis. During our preparations I asked if we could talk about his GABA challenge for a leaky blood brain barrier and he graciously agreed.

I wanted to address this topic in our interview because two of the most common questions I get asked are these:

  • “How can GABA work if it can’t cross the blood brain barrier?” and
  • “If GABA works does this mean I have a leaky blood brain barrier?”

We had such a great conversation on the topic I’ve decided to pull this part of the transcript into a blog so I can share it here with you and use the blog link to share it more widely as I’m asked these questions on social media and elsewhere.

You will learn how Dr. Kharrazian came up with the GABA Challenge, what his thoughts are today, his reservations with GABA and my excellent results with low doses of sublingual GABA. I also share some links to success stories, some of the research and how to figure out if GABA is for you.

Here it is, word for word.

Trudy: So while we’re talking about the leaky blood brain barrier, I want to just talk briefly about GABA and the GABA challenge that you have proposed as a tool for testing for a leaky blood brain barrier. And as you know, I use GABA extensively with clients with the low GABA physical type of anxiety.

I’ve always been a huge fan of you and your work but we do have a professional difference of opinion in this area. And I’ve never actually been a proponent of using the GABA challenge, and I’ve been pretty vocal about it. So I’m really glad that we had a discussion about this in the Facebook group of your neuroinflammation training, and you shared some insights because I was asking some questions about this.

I’d love you to just share some of what we talked about in that discussion. Because if we don’t talk about it, my community is going to say, “Hey, why didn’t you talk to Dr. Kharrazian about this?”

Dr. Kharrazian: Sure, no problem. I don’t think we have this big a disagreement. I think we just have different ways of looking at what’s out there and what we are observing as people working with people, patients who have anxiety.

So ultimately, we have a bunch of theory right now and a bunch of potential models, but we don’t have any clear studies to show what’s really happening. So, one of the things that I proposed in my book before… you understand, I was working with brain patients for over 20 years now….before we had S100 B readily available for many years, it was only in research; you couldn’t get it from conventional labs, even though research was showing it. And the blood brain permeability test was not available either. These have really become more available the past five years and prior to that, we didn’t really have a great test to evaluate if the blood brain barrier was breached.

In an effort to work with what’s out there, what we could do, one of the things that I was doing was doing a test that we called the GABA challenge test. It was really based on the lactulose mannitol test. So the lactulose mannitol test is a well-established test in gastroenterology where they measure leaky gut. So, in that test what the person does is they consume a monosaccharide and a disaccharide, lactulose and mannitol. Lactulose is a disaccharide, it’s very large, and mannitol is very small. And if mannitol doesn’t get absorbed, then there’s a malabsorption issue. And if lactose, which is very large; that should not get through the tight junctions of the gut, gets absorbed in a post urine test, after they drink it, then it shows they have leaky gut. So the whole premise of when you find particle sizes too large to cross, can be a clue to an indication of permeability.

So the GABA challenge that I write about in my book, Why Isn’t My Brain Working? (my Amazon link) was really a way for us to have patients consume GABA. If you look at the molecular weight of GABA, the Dalton size, it’s several hundred Daltons. Several hundred Daltons cannot cross the blood brain barrier. So the concept was, well if someone is taking GABA and they have an effect, then there’s a potential for it to cross the blood brain barrier. And it was kind of following the theory of the lactulose mannitol test. So there’s patients out there who take GABA and nothing happens and some patients take it and go, “It was amazing. Best thing ever. It finally helped me sleep,” or, “Helped reduce anxiety for me.” So, one of the theories was that maybe for some of these people, their blood brain barrier is breached.

Now I know we talked and there is actually the possibility of other pathways that can impact GABA, maybe directly to the gut itself, through the vagus, so I don’t discount those possibilities because we still don’t know. I mean, ultimately, there’d have to be a study designed where they look at it. And it would have to be an animal study, there’s no way you can get an IRB for human studies to check if it’s crossing the brain. It’s some really advanced isotope tracing techniques and I just don’t think the level of dyes they would have to consume to look at the gut and the brain is peripheral and separate… it wouldn’t be possible. So the real answer is, we don’t know.

For me, I still am always suspicious if someone takes GABA and they have a reaction. I always want to go and check the blood brain barrier. And it’s not 100%, I mean, I can tell you without question, there’s people who take GABA, you do a blood brain barrier test, they feel benefit from it, but their blood brain barrier doesn’t have any markers to show permeability.

So it’s not hard for me to consider the possibility that there’s some exogenous pathways too. But at the same time, it’s also really hard to look at the molecular weight of GABA and look at what can cross a healthy blood brain barrier. This Dalton size, we’re talking nanoparticles to a huge, huge particle. So I don’t know but I think we’ll just have to see what happens. And ultimately, if you feel better with GABA, that’s great. If it’s not harmful to you, and if you feel like taking it, that’s great.

I like to also use things like Valerian root, passion flower, and hops because those compounds cross the blood brain barrier. They cross the blood brain barrier and they bind to GABA receptors.

So, the other thing too with actually using GABA you always have the potential for your neurotransmitter receptor sites to down regulate. And this is seen all the time too, patients take GABA and they feel great and then they have to increase their dose and they don’t get the effect as they first did. And they increase the dose and finally, they just don’t get much of an effect from it. And that’s potentially due to receptor site down regulation, which is not as common if you take agonists like Valerian root or passion flower, or hops. These things bind to GABA receptors. So I did a review in my book, where I went over all the literature of the different GABA compounds, which have been published in the literature.

But I’m not going to deny the possibility that there is a potential exogenous source but I also can’t let go the possibility that the blood brain barrier is permeable. So I’m still waiting.

Trudy: Yes, I think it’s great because the fact that you write about that and you taught about that, and you teach about it. It got me looking into the research further and it got me more curious; and it’s good, it’s good to have a healthy discussion and a healthy debate, and be open to possibilities. I’m very open to having my mind changed if something comes up.

I just see GABA works so well with my clients and we use very, very small amounts. I know with your GABA challenge, it’s… what is the amount, its 1,500 milligrams, I think or 1,500 to 2,000? So I’ll start my clients on 125 milligrams of GABA sublingually and get results. I have not noticed the effect that they need more and more, and more. So that’s interesting that you say that. But yeah, it’s good, I’m glad that we’ve had this discussion.

And the other thing that you did say in the online discussion, you said, if someone has a response to taking oral GABA, in other words, taking a GABA supplement does help them, you would want to test for the blood brain barrier permeability, just to see what’s going on. And I like that you say we can track. I’ve actually been in discussions with Cyrex and said, “Hey, why don’t we monitor people who are doing the Cyrex test and have a response to GABA, either therapeutically for the anxiety or with your challenge?” We may start to see some patterns, which I think would be very interesting.

Dr. Kharrazian: Yes, the best we can do with the data in that scenario is just the correlation statistical analysis. But it still wouldn’t answer it.

Trudy: No, I know. But maybe that will trigger someone to want to do a study. So, the good news is we’re seeing more and more research on GABA in the literature. So, it’s exciting. Well, thank you for discussing that with me.

You can read more from our very enlightening interview here: Fix the Brain to Fix the Gut. Dr Kharrazian covers the impact of brain injury and impaired vagal activity (as well as motility and breakdown of the blood brain barrier), how to activate your neurons, using polyphenols for neuroinflammation and butyrate for leaky gut/brain.

These blogs have additional information on GABA and some of the many possible mechanisms:

Here are some blogs with feedback from folks who have benefited from using sublingual GABA for dental anxiety, ADHD/focus issues and Lyme anxiety:

The best way for you to figure out if you will benefit from GABA is to use the trial method. Do the low GABA questionnaire and do a trial of GABA (used sublingually), starting low and increasing until you find the right amount to ease anxiety and improve sleep. You can find the GABA products I recommend on my supplements blog.

Please do share if you’ve benefited from using GABA or if you use it with success with your clients or patients.

GABA and theanine for easing anxiety, improving sleep and supporting immunity

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gaba theanine

Stress and anxiety suppresses immunity and so does poor sleep. One root cause of anxiety and poor sleep can be low GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels.  When you boost low levels of GABA (the neurotransmitter) with the amino acid GABA (it has the same name as the neurotransmitter) or theanine (another amino acid), you feel calmer and you sleep better, and you indirectly support your immune function too. We also have research that directly supports the role that GABA and theanine may play when it comes to improving immune function.

This paper, Psychological Stress, Immunity, and the Effects on Indigenous Microflora, describes the field of PsychoNeuroImmunology which

has clearly demonstrated that the physiological response to psychological stressors can dramatically impact the functioning of the immune system, thus identifying one way in which susceptibility to or severity of diseases are exacerbated during stressful periods.

It’s important that we keep all this in mind as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic and during other times when we may be exposed to infections.

The authors also share that psychological stressors impact the microbiome contributing to increases in markers of inflammation even when there is no infection. As you may recall from the recent Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis there is a bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, with poor gut health having a direct impact on anxiety levels.

The sleep-immunity connection

Here is some of the research supporting the sleep and immunity connection:

Sleep is considered an important modulator of the immune response. Thus, a lack of sleep can weaken immunity, increasing organism susceptibility to infection.

Sleep abnormalities affect immune function in a reciprocal manner, leading to changes in proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukins 1 and 6, and C-reactive protein. The multitude of systems that react to sleep loss suggest effects beyond the central nervous system and include total body functioning.

The GABA and theanine anxiety-immunity connection

Here is some of the research supporting the more direct role GABA and theanine may play when it comes to immune function (and act as a relaxant and anti-stress nutrient at the same time):

GABA could work effectively as a natural relaxant and its effects could be seen within 1 hour of its administration to induce relaxation and diminish anxiety. Moreover, GABA administration could enhance immunity under stress conditions.

A number of recent studies have suggested that theanine administration can improve the body’s immune system….one particular study highlighted the use of theanine as an intervention to decrease the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms via enhancing gamma and delta T-lymphocyte function.

The authors cite one study where “administration of 200 mg theanine was found to have an “anti-stress” effect on pharmacy students” and “regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain through the release of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.”

The  low GABA type of anxiety

When you have the  low GABA type of anxiety you’ll feel physically tense and overwhelmed, fearful and not be sleeping well. You may lie in bed stiff and tense and may also have unwanted thoughts and experience monkey-mind. It’s common to self-medicate with alcohol to stay calm or you may also use carbs to relax. When you use the amino acid supplement GABA, you get quick and very effective relief – when it’s used sublingually.

Already using GABA/theanine or have used it in the past?

If you are already using GABA or theanine you may find you need extra during this time of added stress.  You don’t want to make the mistake of thinking “This is serious, I need to double-up.” The best approach is to monitor your low GABA symptoms and consider using an extra dose during the day or possibly more at night or possibly more at each dose. Use the trial method to monitor your response.

Someone in my facebook community said she was conserving her GABA and noticed her anxiety was creeping back up. Now is not the time to cut back on GABA.

If you’ve found benefit from GABA or theanine in the past but are not currently using it you may very likely feel the need for the additional support right now.

New to low GABA anxiety symptoms and using GABA/theanine?

If you suspect low GABA symptoms and are new to using the amino acids and do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. (get it out of the library if you’re watching your expenses.)

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.  If you’re not a reader there is now also an audible version.

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please also read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions.

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Stay tuned for the webinar I’ll be hosting and until then check out my interview on the Best Sleep Ever Summit. We may also make the GABA Quickstart online group program (with Facebook support and a live Q and A) available if there is enough interest.

In summary, anxiety and sleep deprivation are not good for your immunity, and theanine and GABA can ease anxiety, improve sleep AND enhance immunity. With the expected surge in coronavirus cases, I do hope this has helped you to connect the dots.

bouquetofhope

From our garden to you … a little “bouquet of hope” as you navigate this awful time. I’m thinking of you self-isolating and sheltering-in-place and appreciating you if you are working in a hospital or doing other essential work!

Please share your experiences with GABA and theanine and feel free to ask questions. Let us know if you were aware of the connections to immune function and if you’ve noticed your immune system is stronger when using GABA or theanine?

Theanine for easing stress and anxiety, and improving cognition and sleep in healthy adults

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theanine for anxiety

L-Theanine is a “unique non-protein amino acid found in green tea” which according to the study below, has shown benefits when used short-term or acutely as a supplement for it’s anti-stress effects, reducing anxiety, improving sleep quality, improving cognition and even easing depression.

This 2019 study, Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial, aimed to examine the effects of four weeks use of l-theanine:

on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults. Participants were 30 individuals (nine men and 21 women; aged 20-69) who had no major psychiatric illness.

The trial was randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover, and double-blind.

L-theanine (200 mg/day of Suntheanine), was used by study participants before going to bed each night and was used for four-weeks.

Study participants who used the theanine for two weeks observed the following:

  • For sleep: Reductions in sleep latency (the amount of time it takes to fall asleep), sleep disturbance and less use of sleep medication
  • For cognitive function: Improvements in verbal fluency (especially letter fluency) and improvements in executive function (planning, multi-tasking etc)

The Japanese versions of The Self-rating Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-trait, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores decreased and the study concludes as follows:

Our findings suggest that L-theanine has the potential to promote mental health in the general population with stress-related ailments and cognitive impairments.

The authors also note that “there were no significant adverse events, demonstrating the safety of four weeks of L-theanine administration.”

As expected, the participants saw increases in serum theanine concentrations. What is unusual and inconsistent with previous studies, is the fact that there was “no significant effect on cortisol or immunoglobulin A levels in the saliva or serum.” I’m not sure I understand  the reasoning they propose i.e. that “the reduction of salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A levels may be short term, recoverable effect of L-theanine administration.”  I’ll be digging deeper into this to try and get a better understanding of these differences.

Some of the reported possible mechanisms of action

Here are some of the reported possible mechanisms of action of theanine from some studies referenced in his paper:

  • via glutamate receptors (improving cognitive dysfunction)
  • as a neuroprotective agent and “increases in brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels” (improving mood and focus and reducing anxiety)
  • enhances hippocampal activity (the hippocampus has a major role in learning and memory)
  • via a proposed increase in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus (BDNF is a protein implicated in the stress response, long-term memory, Alzheimer’s disease, and psychiatric disorders)

Theanine or GABA – which one to use when?

I typically start my clients with a trial of GABA Calm for low GABA symptoms like physical tension, stress and overwhelm, panic attacks and insomnia. If we are not getting all the expected benefits with GABA and there is a need for added cognitive benefits then we’ll consider adding theanine too. Some folks find one works better than the other and some like a combination (at the same time or theanine in the day/GABA at night or GABA in the day/theanine at night).

I recently reached out on facebook asking: “Theanine or GABA? Which do you prefer for anxiety and why? How much helps? And any other benefits (like reduced body pain, better thinking/cognition, easing IBS gut pain, reduced cravings, less negative self-talk etc)?Or do you like a combination of both?”

As you can see from these varied responses it’s a matter or trialing both to find what works for each person’s unique needs:

  • Lorraine shared this: “They are both good, but I reach for GABA Calm first.. 2 or 3 lozenges. If anxiety doesn’t leave quickly with GABA ( which works well for a panic attack), and I continue to have anxiety humming along in the background, then I’ll reach for theanine.”
  • Jackie shared this: “I take 200mg theanine in morning, then 100mg GABA around 4pm, when the kids get home from school. I had a panic attack in the middle of the night last week, took GABA 100 mg, then seemed to calm down.” I asked if theanine gives her a feeling of calm focus and she said: “yes, I think so. I noticed if I take 200mg of GABA, it makes me drowsy.”
  • Evelyn shared this: “I use both at night for sleep. If I could only use one it would be l-theanine.” Theanine is more consistently helpful for stress reduction and sleep for me. I use 200mg. When I use GABA it’s 500mg of chewables.”
  • Sara shared this: “GABA during the day, theanine at night.”
  • Karine shared this: “GABA!! The Source Naturals Theanine Serene with Holy Basil is really good. But GABA Calm (also Source Naturals which is a sublingual lozenge) is the only thing for a severe issue/episode and helps me concentrate right before an important presentation at work etc. Pure GABA from any supplier is good for long periods where you need a boost or to tone down general anxiety. I also bought a probiotic that also includes GABA (Jarrodophilus Mood) and notice it improves digestion too.”

You can find my favorite GABA/theanine combination product, a theanine-only product and my most popular GABA products on the supplements blog here (and with details for how to set up an account for my online store)

Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: 300mg GABA, 150mg theanine. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used.

Pure Encapsulations L-Theanine: 200mg theanine. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue. Unlike like GABA, it can also be swallowed.

Source Naturals GABA Calm. This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It can be used in conjunction with theanine.

Enzymatic Therapy GABA: 250 mg GABA. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. It can also be used in conjunction with theanine.

Please let us know … theanine or GABA: which do you prefer for anxiety and why? How much helps? And any other benefits (like reduced body pain, better thinking/cognition, easing IBS gut pain, reduced cravings, less negative self-talk etc)? Or do you like a combination of both?”

PQQ for Stress, Sleep, Mitochondria and Gut Health with Dr. Michael Murray: The Anxiety Summit 5

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pqq stress

Michael Murray, ND is one my guest experts on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis and our topic is: PQQ for Stress, Sleep, Mitochondria and Gut Health.  What You’ll Learn –

  • Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) for calm energy – what it is and how to use it
  • How it is protective against every known toxin
  • A study where participants report “improved happiness and fullness of social life”

michael murray as5

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a fascinating nutrient that provides calm energy, helps with sleep, is protective against every known toxin and support mitochondrial health. PQQ also supports digestive health because the liver and gut is mitochondria-dense (Tara Hunkin shares more about this in her mitochondria/anxiety interview).

When I discovered that Dr. Michael Murray, ND is an expert on PQQ I reached out to invite him to speak on the summit. I was not disappointed – our interview is fabulous, meaty and exciting.

(We actually ended up doing it twice because of technical issues with the first one. There are always plenty of “fun and games” when hosting a summit!)

Dr. Murray shares some of the many benefits of this vitamin-like compound that is found in kiwi fruit, leafy green vegetables, papaya and other fruits and vegetables:

It’s been shown to be neuroprotective, protecting brain cells, it promotes nerve growth factors, it’s been shown to be memory restorative in animal and human studies. It has some interesting effects on anxiety and improving sleep quality. And it exerts many synergistic effects with Coenzyme Q10 and some of the other nutritional compounds that influence the mitochondria.

He feels that “eventually, PQQ is going to be recognized as essential for human nutrition.” And in case you’re curious about the pronunciation, this is how you say it: pyrro-lo-quin-o-line quinone.

We discuss this paper: “Effects of Oral Supplementation with Pyrroloquinoline Quinone on Stress, Fatigue, and Sleep” and Dr. Murray shares how PQQ is

really quite interesting because normally when we think of substances exerting an anti-stress or an anti-anxiety effect, we think about things that maybe calm us down and maybe even make us a little tired.

PQQ is able to promote a calming effect, an anti-stress effect, an anti-anxiety effect, but it actually enhances mental energy and physical energy.

The results in the study were pretty profound and I quote some of the findings the study authors report participants experienced (this, of course, was subjective feedback):

  • Fullness of social life improved
  • Happiness and fullness in the  family  life improved
  • Fullness and  satisfaction  in  overall  daily improved

They also found improved quality of life on measures of appetite, and pain, and obsession, as well.

The authors have this conclusion about a possible mechanism: “The  anti-oxidative  capacity  or  mitochondrial  biogenesis  function  of  PQQ might be responsible for the outcomes in this study.”

michael murray trudy scott

Some of the other topics we discuss around PQQ:

  • why taking PQQ is likely a better approach than using resveratrol
  • how it compares with vitamin C in terms of being an antioxidant (this really amazes me)
  • how it “been shown to protect against every known toxin on the brain”
  • possible benefits for Parkinson’s disease (by preventing the formation of alpha-synuclein) and also for Alzheimer’s disease
  • how “PQQ influences the microbiome in a very favorable way”
  • how a single dose, used one time, dramatically reduced C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) in one study
  • possible concerns about oxalates
  • optimal dosages and when to use it with coenzyme Q10
  • best products and much more

Be sure to listen to Tara Hunkin’s interview to get a solid understanding of the bidirectional connection between mitochondria and anxiety: Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Anxiety

anxiety summit

Please join us and listen to this interview and all the others on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.

When you register now you’ll get access to there 3 interviews right away:

  • Fix the Brain to Fix the Gut – Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS, FACN, CNS
  • MTHFR, B12 Genes and Anxiety – Carolyn Ledowsky, ND
  • Why Bile is the Key to Anxiety & Hormone Havoc – Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

anxiety summit 5 speakers

If you have already signed up for the summit, I hope you enjoy these interview highlights.

If you have yet to sign up, please do come and join us and learn.

Register for the Anxiety Summit 5

 

If you’re considering purchasing the summit to keep for your learning library, you have a number of options that include:

  • Online only or flash drive or both
  • A PDF or printed transcripts of all the interviews
  • The Best of Anxiety-Gut interviews from previous Anxiety Summits
  • GABA Quickstart Program (a group program with me on how to actually use GABA for your physical anxiety, with a private Facebook group and live Q & A call)
Purchase options

 

Have you already used PQQ and found good results? Please share so we can all learn.

I’ll be reporting back more in the coming weeks and months based on my own personal findings and based on feedback from my clients and my community.  I’ve already had this feedback from someone who has seen the speaker line-up:

Registered for the summit today. So excited about it. And excited to see PQQ, one of my favourite, must-have supplements, getting its own piece.

If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments section at the bottom.

I’d also love to hear from you once you’ve listened in to Dr. Murray’s interview and the others.

How high to go on GABA for sleep issues and what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine?

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gaba and sleep issues

How high to go on GABA for sleep issues and what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine?

Today I’m sharing a great question I received about sleep issues – how high to go on GABA and what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine – together with my feedback because it’s not always a simple answer.

Here is the question about sleep, GABA and tyrosine:

I find I need more than the 500mg of sublingual Gaba Calm for sleep even with 200mg theanine. What dose can I go up to. Took a while to work up to that dose. I want to get away from sleeping tablets. Also what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine that comes with this product?

GABA Calm contains both GABA (125mg) and tyrosine (25mg) and it’s one of my most recommended products for anxiety. It sometimes works for insomnia and sometimes it doesn’t.

GABA and feeling stiff and tense with insomnia and anxiety

As you may know, with sleep issues caused by low GABA levels you’ll often lie awake with feelings of physical tension and stiff muscles rather than the ruminating thoughts which is the low serotonin type of insomnia – although it’s not uncommon to experience both. You may also have the stiff-and-tense type of anxiety, panic attacks and the need to self-medicate to calm down, often with alcohol but sometimes with carbs and sugary foods. By using the amino acid GABA you can raise your GABA levels and ease many of these symptoms.

Tyrosine can be stimulating and can be calming

Tyrosine is a considered a stimulating amino acid that is the precursor for making catecholamines (one of the neurotransmitters) like dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Boosting these neurotransmitters provides focus, increased energy and more motivation, and can also alleviate some forms of “curl-up-in-bed” depression.

Conversely tyrosine can also provide a sort of calm focus for some folks.

How much GABA and how much tyrosine?

Keeping all the above in mind, here is my feedback: 500mg of GABA is a large dose when starting out and is typically too high for most people, causing a light-headed feeling and sometimes a niacin-like flush. For this reason, it was good to hear that she worked up to that dose of GABA, found in 4 of the GABA Calm tablets i.e. 125mg of GABA for each one.

When my clients get up to multiple GABA Calm tablets I will often have them switch to a GABA-only product or a GABA/theanine product (opened up onto the tongue and held there for 2 minutes or longer) as the tyrosine can be stimulating. Some folks do fine on a small amount of tyrosine in the evening so 1-2 GABA Calm may be fine but more than that and it can be too much and may need to be avoided.

Taking 4 x GABA Calm tablets also provide a hefty dose of sugar alcohols which could cause diarrhea.

As far as using higher amounts of GABA, I have clients increase as long as they are seeing added benefits. I have had some clients go up to 1000-2000mg but more than this is rare. Theanine can often also be increased up to around 1000mg.

Here are some clues to look out for:

  • too tired in the day → too much GABA or too much theanine?
  • too tired in the day → too little GABA or too little theanine causing disturbed sleep?
  • too tired in the day → not enough tyrosine?
  • not able to sleep well → too little GABA or theanine?
  • not able to sleep well → too much tyrosine (at night or even mid-afternoon)?
  • calm energy → just enough tyrosine
  • sleep well → just enough GABA and/or theanine

There is research supporting that a GABA/theanine combination can improve sleep and that a GABA/5-HTP combination can too. There is no research on GABA Calm and insomnia but in practice it works for some people at night and not for others.

I’m sure you can agree with me that it’s not always simple and there can never be one size fits all. This doesn’t work: “Since you have insomnia take 2 GABA Calm and I’ll see you in a month” or even “This 250mg GABA with 100mg theanine will sort out your sleep issues in no time.”

It’s always a matter of figuring out what your own unique needs are.

Looking for other root causes of your insomnia

If my clients are not seeing incremental benefits as they increase the GABA and/or theanine (and stop the tyrosine) they go back down to their lower dose and we start looking for other root causes for their insomnia.

These root causes can range from low serotonin to high cortisol, also gut issues like SIBO, parasites (which are more active at night) or gluten issues. Too much caffeine (even if consumed in the morning and even a single cup of coffee!) and low blood sugar must always be ruled out too. Some sleep medications can actually make sleep worse especially benzodiazepines. And side-effects of all medications need to be looked at and also the possible effects of EMFs/WiFi.

Have you found that using the trial method with GABA and/or theanine has enabled you to find the ideal amount to take for your insomnia or anxiety? Where did you start and how high did you need to go and how much did this approach help?

Did the removal of tyrosine make a difference or make you more tired in the day?

Were there other factors at play as root causes of your insomnia or anxiety?

As a practitioner, do you want to learn more about how to incorporate GABA and theanine and the other targeted individual amino acids, tryptophan/5-HTP, DPA, glutamine and tyrosine, into your work to help your clients/patients with sleep issues and anxiety? I invite you to check out my new online practitioner training here: Balancing Neurotransmitters – The Fundamentals. I’m extending the $100 discount offered at IMMH for a few weeks (use coupon code immh2019).

GABA and theanine mixture improves sleep and eases anxiety

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gaba theanine sleep

I’m at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference and am speaking on “GABA for anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, autism and addictions.”

One of the studies I will be sharing is this new study on GABA and theanine and how this combination improves sleep: GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep.

The authors share the sleep and anxiety benefits of both GABA and theanine:

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter and it is well established that activation of GABAA receptors favours sleep.

l-Theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid first discovered in green tea, is a well-known anti-anxiety supplement with proven relaxation benefits.

The study objective was to investigate the:

potential synergistic sleep enhancement effect of GABA/l-theanine mixture.

The GABA/l-theanine mixture showed a decrease in sleep latency (length of time to fall asleep) and an increase in sleep duration compared to GABA or theanine alone.

The study authors state:

The increase in GABA receptor and GluN1 (glutamine receptor subunit) expression is attributed to the potential neuromodulatory properties of GABA/l-theanine combination, which seems to affect sleep behaviour.

Here are the amounts used in the study:

  • GABA: 100mg per kg of body weight
  • theanine: 20 mg per kg of body weight

I have found the combination of GABA and theanine to be extremely helpful for many of my clients but not everyone needs the combination. Some folks do very well on GABA alone and some folks do really well on theanine alone.

Keep in mind I do not make amino acid recommendations based on weight but instead use the trial method to find the ideal amount.

The best way for you to figure out if you will benefit from the combination or either of them alone is to use the trial method. Do the low GABA questionnaire and do a trial of either GABA alone or theanine alone or a combination of both, until you find the right amount to improve your sleep and ease anxiety.

If you find the combination works well for you, GABA T-SAP by Nutritional Fundamentals, is a really nice combination product that I use with clients who have both anxiety and insomnia issues. I find that opening up the capsule onto the tongue is more effective than swallowing it. You can find this product and other GABA products I recommend on my supplements blog.

Here are some other blogs on the benefits of using oral GABA

Have you found GABA alone to help you with both sleep and anxiety or have you found that the combination of GABA and theanine is more helpful?