GABA & Glutamate: What You Need To Know!

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Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the body’s most prevalent inhibitory neurotransmitter. It is responsible for reducing neuronal excitability. We might consider it to be our brain’s “calming” chemical.

The metabolic precursor to GABA is glutamate, which is the body’s most prevalent excitatory neurotransmitter. Both glutamate and GABA work together to control the brain's overall level of excitation.

GABA plays a role in many conditions, and low brain concentrations of GABA are associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and attentional disorders.^1,2,3,4

High brain levels of glutamate are associated with anxiety and attentional disorders, as well as restlessness and aggression.^5,6,7,8

An abundance of glutamates in our diet, chronic stress, poor quality or lack of sleep, fluctuating blood glucose levels from a high-carbohydrate diet, and disordered microbiome (poor gut health) can contribute to increased glutamate and/or low GABA levels.

So how can we increase GABA levels, and keep glutamate in check?

Glutamates

Glutamates are excitatory, they “excite” nerve cells. This is why flavor enhances such as MSG (monosodium glutamate) enhance the taste of foods - because they increase the excitation of nerve cells through the tongue.

Almost all of the foods we eat contain traces of naturally-occurring glutamates. However, naturally-occurring glutamates are bound with proteins so they are broken down and absorbed at a much slower rate than the glutamate additives (or “free” glutamates) found in many processed foods, which are quickly absorbed causing a rapid increase in blood glutamate.

Reducing consumption of cured or slow-cooked meats, matured cheeses, and protein powders (especially whey and pea) will help decrease glutamate levels. Typically the more processed the food is, the more glutamate is liberated, so opt for non-processed whole-foods as often as possible.

Alcohol

Interestingly, alcohol inhibits glutamate and mimics GABA (by binding to GABA receptors), hence the calming effect that alcohol can have. However, once GABA is metabolized there is a rebound increase in glutamate (which disrupts our circadian process and promotes wakefulness during the second part of sleep).

Moreover, chronic alcohol exposure alters GABA systems in the brain through gene expression⁹ which may lead to alcohol dependence¹⁰. Given that large amounts of alcohol over time can cause desensitized GABA receptors, as well as interfering with our circadian process, reducing alcohol consumption is recommended when adopting a BrainFirst lifestyle.

Supplements

Many individuals report that supplemental GABA is effective for certain conditions such as anxiety and insomnia, and there is some supporting evidence for a reduction in stress-related markers¹¹. However, supplemental GABA does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier - the protective membrane between the brain and bloodstream that acts as a filtration system. So how does it work?

Whilst the mechanisms of action of supplemental GABA is not yet fully known, one way in which supplemental GABA interacts with receptors may be through the enteric nervous system, in the gut. ¹²

Research suggests that certain probiotic strains are effective in increasing GABA concentrations in the enteric nervous system,¹³¹⁴ providing further evidence for the importance of gut health for anxiety, stress, and affective, attentional and neurological disorders.

Incorporating fermented foods, using high-quality probiotics (with no sugar or fruit added) such as kefir, and prioritizing gut health may go a long way to increasing GABA levels.

Movement

There is little doubt that regular exercise brings many brain-health and mental performance benefits. However, there are two types of activity that have been shown to specifically boost GABA levels, namely, yoga and high-intensity exercise.

In one study a 12-week yoga intervention with yoga-naïve individuals was associated with greater improvements in mood and anxiety, compared to a metabolically matched walking exercise, and participants experienced a 13% increase in thalamic GABA levels¹⁵.

Another study compared yoga to reading, and found that experienced yoga practitioners gained a 27% increase in GABA levels after one yoga session. ¹⁶

Turning to high-intensity exercise, 38 participants experienced increased GABA levels after being instructed to cycle (at increasing intensity) until they reached or exceeded 80% of their predicted maximum heart rate, which took between 8-17 minutes.¹⁷

Further research also revealed increased GABA levels after a high-intensity interval training session.¹⁸

Whilst we need both GABA and glutamate to work together to control our brain’s overall level of excitation, low levels of GABA and high levels of glutamate can become problematic. Reducing glutamate-laden foods, incorporating yoga and high-intensity exercise into our schedule, reducing alcohol consumption and prioritizing gut health may contribute to decreased symptoms associated with low GABA/high glutamate levels, as well as boosting brain, body and mental health.

With any dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes it is important to factor in our overall level of health and fitness, as well as individual differences - so please consult your health care professional so you can make informed decisions.

Thanks for reading.

GABA & Glutamate: What You Need To Know!

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