GABA: Definition, Benefits, & Function

By Nathalie Boutros, Ph.D.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.

What is GABA? Learn how this brain chemical works, why it’s important and how you may be able to get more of its beneficial effects.

*This page may include affiliate links; that means we earn from qualifying purchases of products.

The brain is an almost inconceivably complex system of billions of neurons interlinked via trillions of connections that work to coordinate everything you do, think, and feel (Zimmer, 2011). This system works via the chemical regulation of electrical activity. Chemicals called neurotransmitters are created in one brain cell and released into the tiny space between brain cells, called the synaptic cleft. When the neurotransmitter binds to the neuron on the other side of the synaptic cleft, that post-synaptic neuron may change in some way. 

Within neurons, activity is mostly electrical. If a neuron receives enough activating neurotransmitters, that neuron will generate an electrical impulse. This electrical impulse may then generate still more effects within the post-synaptic neuron, perhaps triggering the release of more neurotransmitters which then go on to have effects on still more neurons. Through this complex system of chemical communication between neurons and electrical activity within neurons, the hundreds of billions of cells in your brain work together to create everything you experience.
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This system is amazingly complex and neuroscientists continue to discover just how brain cells communicate with one another. There are over 40 known chemicals that can act as neurotransmitters. These different chemicals all have different effects on brain cells and are present in different concentrations in different parts of the brain. For example, glutamate is the brain’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter - it has the effect of making individual neurons more likely to generate electrical impulses. In contrast, Gamma-aminobutyric Acid, or GABA, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter - it has the effect of making individual neurons less likely to generate electrical impulses. In this article, we’ll talk about what GABA is and how it works in the brain. We’ll also discuss how you may be able to increase levels of GABA in your brain and why you may want to do this.​​
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What Is GABA? (A Definition)

GABA is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter (Buzsaki et al., 2007). When GABA is released, it’s almost like pressing down on the brain’s brake pedals, slowing things down and limiting or preventing excessive neural activity. When GABA binds to a neuron, that neuron becomes less likely to generate an electrical impulse. The neuron then requires more contact with excitatory neurotransmitters to fire. This is a critically important job - too much brain activity can lead to several negative effects including seizures and convulsions. Some of these negative effects may irreparably damage brain cells, sometimes even leading to death.

​GABA deficits and excessive brain activity have been implicated in serious degenerative brain disorders like Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases (Wong et al., 2003). Even when the effects of excessive brain activity aren’t deadly, they can still negatively impact health and well-being. For example, impaired GABA transmission and excessive brain activity may contribute to sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, schizophrenia, and other mental health disorders. The inhibitory effects of GABA are necessary for a healthy, balanced, and well-functioning neural system.

GABA Function

GABA regulates electrical activity in the brain. If brain cells generate electrical impulses too frequently, long-term damage or even cell death may occur. GABA, as a chemical inhibitor of excessive electrical activity within brain cells, may protect neurons from such damage (Wei et al., 2012).

In some cases, GABA is present in the space between neurons by default. This works to make neurons generally less likely to fire electrical impulses. Other times GABA is released only when a GABA neuron becomes activated, making electrical impulses less likely only in specific situations. Sometimes, GABA is released at the same time as glutamate, making it harder for the same cell to fire too frequently. In all of these ways and more, GABA in the brain works to balance out the effects of excitatory neurotransmission. This protects against excessive activity and ensures that the electrical activity that does get through can be directed in specific ways across networks of brain cells (Buzsaki et al., 2007).

GABA Receptors

The part of the neuron that interacts with the neurotransmitter is called the receptor. The relationship between a neurotransmitter and its receptor is a bit like the relationship between a key and a lock - when a neurotransmitter fits into a receptor it can unlock the cell and cause changes within that cell. In the case of GABA, when the GABA molecule makes contact with the GABA receptor, it hyperpolarizes the cell - the cell’s already negative voltage becomes even more negative, and thus further away from the voltage required to fire an electrical impulse. In contrast, glutamate depolarizes the brain cell, making it less negative and thus closer to being able to fire an electrical impulse (Flores-Ramos et al., 2017).

There are two primary ways that GABA can hyperpolarize the cell. These ways correspond to the two types of GABA receptors, GABA(A), and GABA(B) receptors. When GABA makes contact with the GABA(A) receptor, the membrane of the cell is changed in a way that allows negatively charged chloride ions to flow into the cell, thus making the cell’s voltage more negative. In contrast, when GABA makes contact with the GABA(B) receptor, the membrane of the cell is changed in a way that allows positively charged potassium ions to flow out of the cell, similarly making the cell’s voltage more negative and thus further from being able to generate an electrical impulse. This means that although GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors work in different ways, they both have the same effect: namely making the cell’s voltage more negative and thus further away from being able to generate an electrical impulse.

GABA Agonists

An agonist is an external chemical, one not created by the brain or body, that can mimic the effects of a neurotransmitter. An agonist can be thought of as another key that also fits into the receptor lock. Agonists often cause the cell to change in the same way that happens in response to the neurotransmitter. Agonists are often used for therapeutic or recreational purposes, taken to induce the physical and psychological effects that come when the cell is activated by the neurotransmitter. GABA agonists are often taken to achieve some of the sedative, calming, and relaxing effects that usually come from activation by GABA.

Some of the best-known GABA agonists are barbiturates, drugs that are often taken for their anti-anxiety, anti-insomnia, sedative, or anti-seizure effects. Barbiturates usually interact with receptors for many neurotransmitters including glutamate and serotonin as well as GABA. On the GABA receptor, barbituates keep the cell hyperpolarized for longer, making the brain cell even less likely to generate an electrical impulse (Nemeroff et al., 2003).

Other GABA agonists have similar effects, binding to GABA receptors and mimicking the inhibitory effects of GABA, namely sedation, anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant, or anti-insomnia. Some well-known GABA agonists include:
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• Eszopiclone - An anti-insomnia medication sold under the brand name Lunesta
• Propofol - A drug used to induce sedation marketed under the brand name Diprivan
• Topiramate - An anti-epilepsy drug sold under the brand name Topamax
• Zolpidem - An anti-insomnia drug sold under the brand name Ambien
• Baclofen - An anti-spasticity drug sold under the brand names Lioresal and Ganlofen
• Phenibut - A drug used to treat anxiety and insomnia sold under the brand names Anvifen, Fenibut, and Noofen

Several other chemicals also produce physical and psychological effects by acting on GABA receptors, though not by mimicking the action of GABA molecules. Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs that interact with the GABA receptor and induce feelings of relaxation, sedation, calmness, and sleepiness (Riemann et al., 2015). Well-known benzodiazepines include Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax. These drugs are not GABA agonists but are known as Positive Allosteric Modulators and work by enhancing or amplifying the effect of GABA as described in the short video below.

Video: 2-Minute Neuroscience: Benzodiazepines & GABA

Yet other drugs may induce some of the sedative, anti-anxiety, or anti-convulsant effects of GABA through still different processes in the brain. Gabapentin is a well-known anti-convulsant drug that is also sometimes prescribed for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, or pain. Although the molecular structure of gabapentin is similar to that of GABA, gabapentin does not interact with GABA receptors in the same way that GABA does and may instead exert its effects through involvement with the chemical processes that create GABA in the brain (McLean, 1994). Studies have reported that taking Gabapentin may increase GABA concentrations in the brain by over 55 percent (Cai et al., 2012).

GABA in The Brain

As the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA is critically important to neural activity across the brain and plays a role in several different mental and cognitive processes. In the parts of the brain responsible for decision-making and cognition, higher concentrations of GABA are associated with better cognitive functioning in older adults (Porges et al., 2017). In the part of the brain responsible for visual perception and information processing, more GABA predicts better performance on a visual decision-making task (Edden et al., 2009). Similarly, in the part of the brain responsible for the coordination of movement, higher levels of GABA are associated with better performance on a tactile decision-making task (Puts et al., 2011). These results suggest that GABA is critically important to the healthy functioning of many different parts of the brain.

GABA Deficiency

Since GABA is present throughout the brain and is involved in regulating so much brain activity. inadequate or otherwise impaired GABA transmission may result in a wide range of physical or psychological symptoms or disorders. GABA deficiency has been implicated in several disorders including

• Some forms of epilepsy (Treiman, 2001) - Insufficient GABA may lead to excessive excitatory neurotransmission and an overabundance of electrical activity in the brain, resulting in seizures. The relationship between GABA and epilepsy is not straightforward and other neurotransmitters are involved.
• Tourettes - Low levels of GABA in the part of the brain responsible for motor control may contribute to the motor tics and sensory impairments that characterize this disorder (Puts et al., 2015)..
• Autism - People with autism may have decreased GABA levels in parts of the brain responsible for sensory processing and movement (Marotta et al., 2020). The balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission may be disrupted in these regions, leading to information processing deficits, sensory sensitivities, and repetitive behaviors.
• ADHD - Children with ADHD may have low levels of GABA in brain regions responsible for sensory processing and motor control (Edden et al., 2012). The inhibitory functions of GABA may be critically important for filtering sensory information and selecting behavioral responses.
• Insomnia - GABA may be reduced by up to 30 percent in the brains of people with insomnia (Winkelman et al., 2008). Insufficient GABA in the brain may lead to excessive excitatory neurotransmission and hyperarousal, making sleep elusive.
• Anxiety and panic disorder - Insufficient GABA may contribute to hyperarousal (Goddard et al., 2001).
  
• Depression - GABA receptor deficits are implicated in depression (Flores-Ramos et al 2017).

GABA Benefits

Impaired GABA functioning may be partially reversed by pharmacological or dietary interventions that increase GABA (Ngo & Vo., 2019). Some of the specific beneficial effects of increasing GABA may include

• Improved sleep quality and decreased insomnia
  
• Antidepressant effects
  
• Relaxation and decreased anxiety
  
• Improved long-term memory 
  
• Improved cognitive functioning
  

In addition to the beneficial effects of GABA within the brain, GABA may also have beneficial effects throughout the body including

• Heart health - GABA may reduce hypertension and lower blood pressure
  
• Diabetes - GABA and GABA-enriched foods may lower glucose, decrease insulin resistance, stimulate insulin release, and prevent pancreatic damage
  
• Cancer - GABA may slow or even suppress tumor growth
  
• Inflammation - GABA may inhibit inflammation
  
• Allergies - GABA may limit the effects of histamines
  
• Protective against some of the damaging effects of heavy alcohol use
  
• Protective effects on the kidneys and intestines
  

GABA Withdrawal

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs with sedative, anti-anxiety, and anticonvulsant effects. These drugs achieve these effects by increasing activity at the GABA receptor (Fluyau et al., 2018). Well-known benzodiazepines include Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, and Serax. Benzodiazepines are very popular, with some studies estimating 18 million benzodiazepine prescriptions in the US (Dressler et al., 2022).

Benzodiazepine use can cause physical dependence and tolerance. Generally, withdrawal happens when there is a physiological adaptation to the changes caused by the drug's presence. For example, increased activation of GABA receptors by benzodiazepines may cause the receptors to lose some sensitivity, making them less likely to respond to not only the benzodiazepines but also to GABA. This mechanism may then lead to benzodiazepine tolerance, where the drug is no longer as effective as it once was. This mechanism may also lead to withdrawal when benzodiazepine use is discontinued. When GABA receptors are less sensitive to activation by GABA, inhibitory neurotransmission may be impaired, leading to increased excitatory neurotransmission and a whole range of physical and psychological symptoms. Generally, symptoms are time-limited and may only last for a week or two, though this will depend on the individual and their drug use patterns.

Generally, withdrawal symptoms fall into two categories: Psychological symptoms and physical symptoms.

Psychological Symptoms:

• Increased anxiety or excitability
  
• Insomnia
  
• Nightmares
  
• Panic attacks
  
• Phobias or fears including Agoraphobia or social phobia
  
• Perceptual distortions including hallucinations, misperceptions, or paranoid thoughts
  
• Depersonalization
  
• Derealization
  
• Depression
  
• Obsessions
  
• Irritability
  
• Poor memory and concentration or impaired intellectual abilities
  
• Intrusive memories
  

Physical Symptoms:

• Headache
  
• Pain or stiffness, especially in the limbs, back, neck, teeth, or jaw
  
• Seizures, ticks, jerks, tremors, or muscle twitching
  
• Feelings of tingling or numbness
  
• Altered sensation, especially in the limbs, face, or trunk
  
• Weakness or fatigue
  
• Flu-like symptoms
  
• Dizziness or lightheaded-ness
  
• Tinnitus
  
• Hypersensitivity to light, sound, touch, taste, or smell
  
• Gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, pain, or difficulty swallowing
  
• Changes to appetite
  
• Dry mouth
  

For most people, these withdrawal symptoms can probably be expected to last a few days to a week. However, for a minority of people, withdrawal symptoms may persist for longer, extending to months or even years. Withdrawal symptoms that persist for extended periods may be addressed by tailoring a tapering-off schedule specific to your symptoms and concerns. It is advisable to work with your physician to address any withdrawal concerns whether you are experiencing symptoms due to benzodiazepine withdrawal or withdrawal from any other GABA drug.

GABA in Foods

GABA is present in many foods including tea, tomatoes, soybeans, and rice (Diana et al., 2014). Adzuki beans and spinach may be particularly good dietary sources of GABA (Briguglio et al., 2018). GABA may also be produced as a by-product of bacterial fermentation and so may be present in high quantities in fermented foods like kimchi, miso, and tempeh.

One food that is particularly high in GABA is germinated brown rice (Patil & Khan, 2011), sometimes called sprouted brown rice, GABA rice, or by its Japanese name, hatsuga genmai. Brown rice that has been germinated may have between 10-100 times as much GABA as ungerminated brown rice. The short video below gives instructions on how you may be able to germinate brown rice.

Video: How to Make GABA Rice

GABA Supplements

GABA supplements, in capsule form, are widely available at drug stores, supermarkets, and online. Due to the perhaps limited ability of these products to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain, many scientists caution that they may not be able to increase brain levels of GABA (Boonstra et al., 2015). However, there is some evidence that GABA supplements may be able to lessen symptoms of stress and anxiety. GABA supplements may also improve sleep quality in people with insomnia (Byun et al., 2018).

Although GABA supplements may be marketed for the treatment of many symptoms including anxiety, low mood, PMS, pain, and high blood pressure, it should be noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate claims about supplement efficacy. Although these supplements have been evaluated for safety and will not generally harm most people (Oketch-Rabah et al., 2021), any claims that they can relieve specific symptoms have not been evaluated by government regulators.

GABA Tea

Teas made from leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant, tend to be high in GABA. Black tea, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea all come from this plant. Although GABA content may vary widely from brand to brand, these teas may contain up to 45 mg of GABA per 100 grams of tea (Zhao et al., 2011). You may also be able to get specialty GABA teas. These are black, green, or oolong teas that have been specially fermented to increase their GABA content. These teas may contain up to 405 mg of GABA per 100 grams of tea. GABA teas may have several beneficial effects including improving symptoms of anxiety, cardiovascular functioning, and cognitive and mental processes (Hinton et al., 2019).

GABA for Sleep

GABA is critically important in regulating the neural circuitry responsible for sleep (Hepsomali et al., 2020). Low GABA levels or impaired GABA functioning may result in sleep disturbances, including insomnia. Taking GABA supplements or incorporating GABA rice into your diet may reverse improve sleep quality and decrease the time it takes to get to sleep.

GABA for Anxiety

Low levels of GABA or impaired GABA functioning have also been implicated in stress and anxiety disorders. Without the inhibiting effects of GABA, the brain’s stress response systems may be hypersensitive. This may lead to feelings of hyperarousal, an inability to relax, and heightened stress reactivity (Nuss, 2015). Impaired GABA functioning may be involved in both short-term, acute anxiety and longer-term chronic anxiety. GABA supplements may decrease both the psychological experience of stress and physiological markers of stress reactivity.

Articles Related to GABA

Want to learn more? Here are some related articles that might be helpful.​

• Teas for Calmness (& To Reduce Stress and Anxiety)
• Burnout: Definition, Symptoms, & Recovery Tips
• How to Calm Down: 11 Tips to Calm Anxiety
• ​Serotonin: Definition, Function, & Boosters​​

Books Related to GABA

Here are some books that may help you learn even more.

• The Glutamate/GABA-Glutamine Cycle: Amino Acid Neurotransmitter Homeostasis
• Nootropics Stack Tracker & Log Book: Be The Best Version Of You!
• Better Living Through Neurochemistry - A guide to the optimization of serotonin, dopamine and the neurotransmitters that color your world
• Brain Drain: How Highly Processed Food Depletes Your Brain of Neurotransmitters, the Key Chemicals It Needs to Properly Function

Final Thoughts on GABA

It may seem counterintuitive that a chemical that slows down brain activity can be so important to a healthy and well-functioning neural system. Without the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA to  prevent excessive neural activity, brain cells would fire excessively, leading to tremors, convulsions, seizures, and eventual cell death. Although less dramatically dire, excessive electrical activity in the brain may also result in insomnia, anxiety, depression, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity, and impaired cognitive functioning. The presence of GABA within the brain works to counteract some of these distressing effects of excessive neural excitability. A balance between excitation and inhibition of electrical impulses is key to a healthy neural system and GABA is one of the keys to this balance.

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References

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