In my continuing series on managing your brain chemistry for best health, it's time to talk about the neurotransmitter that relaxes and calms you the most, GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid. GABA is our natural tranquilizer for helping calm our over-reactions to stressful events by inhibiting our excitatory catecholamines, the cats I wrote about in Part 2. Often with chronic stress we get depleted of GABA and then we feel excess anxiety, nervousness and are more irritable. The usual drug approach to help these feelings is to take a Valium-like drug, many of which have been developed over the past 30 years. Any generic drug name ending in "pam" is likely related to Valium or diazepam and a member of this GABA-mimicing family of tranquilizers. These drugs do not increase your storehouse of GABA molecules however. They merely enhance your GABA receptor activity, so you feel as if there is more GABA function. Taken chronically they can also produce depression and sedation.
Other symptoms of GABA deficiency may include periodic rapid heart beat, chronic insomnia, short temper, and alcohol cravings.
There are at least 10 different known types of GABA receptors in our brains, so the drugs developed to help GABA problems target one or more of these receptor types. These drugs include, Topamax, Neurontin, Lyrica, Depakote, Lamictal, Tegretol, Dilantin, Ambien, Lunesta, Valium, Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin, Halcion, and Restoril. The last 8 in this list, all members of the Valium family, are highly dependency-producing and addicting.The first 5 are all used for various neurological problems arising from GABA malfunctions in different parts of the brain, including seizures, depression, neuropathic pain, fibromylagia pain, migraine, and bipolar disorder. They are very useful drugs and non-addicting.
To boost GABA from our diet we need foods rich in glutamine, a naturally occurring amino acid. The brain coverts glutamine into GABA. Foods to include in your diet to increase your glutamine intake include organ meats such as liver, nuts, legumes, cantaloupe, oranges and reishi mushroom. Avoid simple sugars, carbonated drinks, aspartame and alcohol, all of which deplete GABA or counteract its effects.
GABA can be taken as a supplement and works quickly if dissolved in the mouth. I often recommend a product called GABA-Calm and use this myself to boost GABA when needed. I also recommend GABAMax, a product containing taurine and glycine as well as GABA. These two amino acids also stimulate GABA production in your brain. GABAMax also includes 5HTP for increasing serotonin levels.
GABA is associated with theta waves in your brain and anything that helps you increase your theta wave production will be calming and relaxing. You can learn techniques for calming and relaxing yourself in any situation without taking GABA supplements so often. I'm very impressed with my own results from using Dr. Brian Alman's 5 Minute Stress Reduction & Peak Performance Program. I have it on my iPod and listen to at least one 5 minute track soon after awakening most mornings.
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drBob