GABA: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
Beta-Phenyl-Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid
Scientific name(s)
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Family or group:
Amino acids
Indications
Scoring methodology
EFSA approval.
Stress ✪✪✪✪✪
Preliminary clinical research suggests that taking a single dose of GABA 100-200 mg orally 10-70 minutes before the end of a mentally stressful task attenuates the reduction in alpha waves and reduces the rise in beta waves on the EEG during the test compared with placebo. However, GABA does not appear to affect subjective measures of stress.
Posologie
Oral
100 - 200 mg
High blood pressure ✪✪✪✪✪
Clinical studies have shown that consuming 100 ml of fermented milk containing 10 to 12 mg of GABA at breakfast for 12 weeks reduced systolic blood pressure by about 17 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by about 7 mmHg from baseline in hypertensive patients. Compared with patients treated with placebo, these reductions were significant. Other clinical research has shown that taking a Chlorella supplement containing 20 mg of GABA twice a day for 12 weeks reduced systolic blood pressure compared with placebo in hypertensive patients.
Posologie
Oral
10 - 12 mg
12 - weeks
Epilepsy ✪✪✪✪✪
Preliminary clinical research shows that taking a combination of 2,500 to 3,000 mg of GABA and 500 mg of phosphatidylserine per day for 3 to 8 months reduces the frequency of seizures compared with placebo in patients with absence seizures, but not partial or complex seizures.
Posologie
Oral
2500 - 3000 mg
8 - months
Synergies
Properties
Neurological
GABA has anticonvulsant effects at the cellular level. Therefore, GABAergic drugs, or those that enhance GABA activity, are used to treat epilepsy. However, GABA supplements do not appear to be effective anticonvulsants because GABA does not cross the blood–brain barrier when administered orally or systemically. On the other hand, GABA may have neuroprotective effects. In animal research, the excessive release of neurotoxic glutamate after cerebral ischemia was reduced by exogenous GABA, probably by increasing GABA(B) receptor activity.
Usages associés
Cardiovascular
Clinical research results suggest that taking GABA may decrease blood pressure. Indeed, in animals antihypertensive effects have been demonstrated for GABA-enriched tomatoes, green tea, rice, soy, and fermented milk. The exact mechanism of GABA's antihypertensive effect is not clear. Some animal research suggests it may inhibit angiotensin II without acting on angiotensin I-converting enzyme. However, other animal studies suggest that GABA's hypotensive effect may be due to increased sodium excretion.
Usages associés
Anxiolytic
Endogenous GABA has sedative and anxiolytic effects at the cellular level. Thus, the effects of exogenous GABA are not yet clear. Indeed, when administered orally or systemically, GABA does not cross the blood–brain barrier. However, there is research that reports an anxiolytic effect when it is administered intravenously in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, some clinical studies suggest that oral GABA intake can induce a "lack of alertness" in healthy women.
Sedative
The GABA(A) receptors have an established physiological role in sleep. Many sedative pharmacological agents used to treat insomnia target GABA(A) receptors. GABA agonists appear to exert sleep-promoting effects at the level of the hypothalamus, a brain region associated with sleep. Moreover, the effects of GABA supplements are not as clear. When administered orally or systemically, GABA does not cross the blood–brain barrier, so it seems unlikely to have sedative effects.
Safe dosage
Adults aged 18 and over: 10 mg - 3000 mg (dry extract)
GABA has been used safely at doses up to 3000 mg for 8 months.
Interactions
Médicaments
Antihypertensive: moderate interaction
Some clinical research shows that GABA may lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Theoretically, concurrent use with antihypertensive medications could increase the risk of hypotension.
Precautions
Pregnant women: avoid
Gamma-aminobutyric acid should be avoided in pregnant women due to a lack of reliable information.
Breastfeeding: avoid
Gamma-aminobutyric acid should be avoided in breastfeeding women due to a lack of reliable information.
