Is Low GABA Causing Your Anxiety?

And 8 Root Causes for Low GABA

I have always had issues with anxiety. I still do, although it is often situational and minor, and I can deal with it. For instance, I still have a fear of heights, being on the edge when up high. This stems from something that happened to me when I was a teen.  Otherwise, I know when I have more anxiety and thus I can prepare for it and plan. As an example, traveling on my own is always a bit stressful for me and can induce some anxiety, so now I just plan, get everything in order and I am much calmer. 

But what about the constant worry, the panic attacks that come out of nowhere, or the anxiety that prevents us from living our lives and controls us instead? 

This type of anxiety impacts your daily life.  And you’re not alone.  Anxiety is the number one mental health issue impacting those in the US. It impacts not only adults but children as well.  (10) Anxiety comes in many forms.  For you it may be generalized anxiety, or panic attacks, social anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD or depersonalization. Each of these is a form of anxiety and it is not uncommon to experience anxiety in different forms. 

Instead of medication that comes with a laundry list of side effects and can be addictive within days of use, why don’t you try a natural path first to see if it helps?

Here is what you need to know about GABA, your antianxiety neurotransmitter

What is GABA?

GABA is your neurotransmitter that has a calming and relaxing effect on the brain. When you are low in GABA there may be too much stimulation in the brain and this results in anxiety. (8) Think of it like putting the brakes on overstimulation in the brain. Without GABA you are over stimulated, and the response is anxiety. (10)

The key is to find out what is causing your GABA levels to be low. Once the main causes have been identified then you can start to address them to increase GABA levels. 

Low GABA’s Most Common Causes

Below I mention some of the more common causes of low GABA and briefly mention what to do to address it.  You may need more help than what is in this article. If so, feel free to give me a call for a free 15 minute phone consult (303-522-0381) to see if I can help you. 

Poor Gut Health

Your gut bacteria help to convert glutamine and glutamic acid into GABA.  Thus, an important reason why we need to support gut health.  Low levels of your good bacteria, lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium are linked with lower GABA levels and brain inflammation.  (5)  Additionally, you need these good bacteria for the absorption and utilization of B6 which plays a role in the conversion of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, into GABA. (8)

               The Fix:  Add in prebiotic and probiotic rich foods into the diet. ( prebiotic rich foods,  fermented food benefits )  If you find that fermented foods make your anxiety worse than you may have a lactic acid sensitivity. If so, avoid the fermented foods and take a high-quality probiotic instead.  I recommend Megaspore by microbiome labs and you can order it at https://microbiomelabs.com using the code TFN67.  It can only be sold via a health professional.

As for the diet: Remove processed foods from the diet, foods that you are sensitive to (do a trial elimination diet or get tested), remove wheat- based products, gluten containing foods, dairy (except fermented and raw, grass fed if no sensitivity), sugar, fake sugars and other fake packaged foods. Eat a whole foods diet with plenty of veggies and leafy greens, quality fats and vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources. 

Drink bone broth which has amino acids that will aid in healing the gut.  There are many high- quality brands in health food stores now so that you don’t have to make your own. It should be in the freezer section of your store.

Chronic Stress, Adrenal Health Issues

When you are under stress, overworked, too much on your plate, your cortisol levels will increase in the brain and in the body to help cope with the stress. At the same time, this blocks GABA production.  This can cause too much glutamate in the brain with can over excite the brain cells.   Over time you now will have very little in the way of GABA production.  (3, 4, 8)

               The Fix: While you may not be able to reduce or avoid the stressors in your life, there are things you can do to help you cope.  Try deep breathing, yoga, meditation, walks in nature, exercise, and adaptogens such as rhodiola (http://trufoodsnutrition.com/rhodiola-rosea-for-stress-anxiety-depression-fatigue-and-add/ ) or Ashwagandha.  The Standard American Diet also puts stress on the body.  Instead nurture your body with good, healthy, nutrient rich foods. Stay hydrated and first thing in the morning, drink 16 ounces of (ideally filtered) water.  Don’t skip meals, don’t eat in a hurry. Instead eat meals away from your computer or tv and focus on the meal and appreciate your food.  And chew 15-20 times each bite of food to maximize absorption. 

Poor Sleep

GABA plays a role in the synthesis of melatonin.  It helps to convert serotonin into melatonin which is needed for sleep.  (2)

            The Fix: Often those with anxiety have difficulty falling to sleep or staying a sleep.  If this is you, find which other factors on this list sound like you and address it. Once GABA levels improve, melatonin should as well. Supplementing with melatonin is a temporary fix and most supplements on the market contain too much melatonin. I recommend cutting a 2. 5 mg. tablet in half and starting with that dose.

Blood Sugar Imbalance

This puts added stress on the body and can also weaken the BBB (blood brain barrier).  Once the BBB is open, it allows the opportunity for toxins and free radicals to pass over, effect brain tissue and cause elevated stress hormones, thus decreasing GABA levels. 

               The Fix: Balance blood sugar.  Read this article on the blood sugar fix to find out what to do. 

GAD Antibodies

Along with B6 needed for the conversion into GABA, an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase is needed.  If you have epilepsy or another seizure disorder or type 1 diabetes, you may have elevated antibodies to the GAD enzyme.  (6)

               The Fix: Ask your doctor for a GAD blood test, which will look to see if your body is producing a type of antibody that destroys its own GAD cells.  If this is the case, you may need to supplement with higher doses of GABA. 

Poor Nutrient Status of Zinc, B6, Magnesium, Taurine, Glutamine

Glutamine is the precursor to GABA. Glutamine gets converted first to glutamic acid. Converting glutamic acid to GABA is also dependent upon B6 in its active form, which is called P-5-P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate). Taurine is needed to produce P-5-P.  Zinc also assists in P-5-P activation and stimulates GAD activity.  (6,7).  Magnesium, you may already know is a very calming mineral.  Many of us are deficient in magnesium which is needed to activate GABA receptors (7).

               The Fix: You can supplement with all of these, but it would be better if you could eat most of your nutrients.  However, it is difficult to meet our magnesium needs.  For anxiety, magnesium L threonate is the best form which can cross the BBB.  B6 in the active form may also be beneficial to take in supplement form.  You can take this as a separate supplement or in a B complex.  Address gut health and adrenal health first before addressing nutrient deficiencies.  Leaky gut may be the issue and if this is not healed, supplements can be a waste of money.  Learn how to address leaky gut and find out if you have it here

Low Protein Diet

This impacts not only your GABA, but your dopamine and serotonin levels as well.  (8) Your protein rich foods break down into amino acids, the building blocks not only for your muscles but for your neurotransmitters too. 

               The Fix: Consume quality protein rich foods at each meal.  The average amount for a female is 15 protein grams per meal and for the average male it is closer to 20-25 grams meal. Your protein needs can vary greatly. For more information on how much protein you need, read this article.

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol use initially increases GABA function and helps the user to “mellow out”. But over time, with chronic alcohol use, the number of GABA receptors decrease in the central nervous system. What happens then is that you need more alcohol to feel good.  If alcohol is withheld, then too few GABA receptors remain to balance the excitatory neurotransmission, causing your anxiety to be heightened. (9) Anxiety ends up being one of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms. 

          The Fix: This one is probably the hardest of all. Abstaining is best and especially so if you have an addition. Get help via detox programs, AA meetings and use of a therapist.  I practice the Emotion Code Method to release trapped emotions which can be tied to drinking since we often drink to hide or run away from issues that we may not want to or are ready to face.  For more information on the Emotion Code read this post about what it is and how it can help you  

For short term, while abstaining and the anxiety is severe, use pharma GABA or liposomal GABA and both can be found in my online apothecary.  (Go to the main page of my site http://trufoodsnutrition.com/ and click the product tab at the top of the page, when it drops down, click on supplements and it will open to the apothecary where you will set up your account so that you can order. 

Herbs that can be useful when dealing with alcoholism include dandelion root and passion flower to help reduce the cravings, skullcap for the anxiety and milk thistle to provide liver support. 

Signs and Symptoms of Low GABA

  • Racing mind at bed time
  • Easily agitated or frustrated
  • Can’t relax or “loosen up”
  • Sensitive to bright lights, loud sounds or chemical smells (can also be candida)
  • Anxiety, panic attacks, heart palpitations, shortness of breath
  • IBS
  • Feeling stressed, overwhelmed even with little things added on to your plate.
  • Fibromyalgia (6)
  • Crave carbs, alcohol or use other drugs to relax
  • Stiff, tense muscles

(8)

Supplementing with GABA

You may have heard that if supplementing with GABA helps you it means that you have a leaky brain barrier.  The GABA molecule is large and thus too big to cross the BBB.  However, there are areas of the brain that the barrier is permeable and can pass through.  (1, 8)

Personally, for GABA, I prefer Pharma GABA and Liposomal GABA.  I do not recommend buying from big box stores, online big box stores or generic products.  You can order GABA via my online apothecary by going to my site http://trufoodsnutriton.com/  and click on the product tab at the top of the page and then click on supplements and this will take you to my online store for purchases. 

GABA and theanine will complement each other so you may want to add in 200 mg. of theanine in the morning and once before bed. The other option is to add in a cup of green tea in the morning which is where this amino acid comes from.  (10) However, you may need to drink a lot of tea to reap the theanine benefits (12) and this wouldn’t be a good idea due to the caffeine. 

However, you may not even need GABA if you address the underlying root causes. But if your anxiety is severe and is preventing you from even going out to the store to buy healthier food options, then GABA supplementation may be the place to start and then address the underlying root cause. 

Foods and Herbs to Increase Your GABA levels

GABA is highest in green, black and oolong teas. (11)  Read this article to learn the right way to make tea

Fermented foods also contain GABA but heed the warning I mentioned above about lactic acid sensitive individuals and anxiety.  Start with a small amount of fermented foods and monitor how you feel. If your anxiety does not increase after eating these foods, then you should be fine. Fermented foods include foods such as kimchi, kefir, kombucha, fermented vegetables, miso and natto. 

A calming herb to try is Kava (13). Buy the organic root and use a coffee grinder to grind it into a powder to make an herbal tea.  Drink this tea quickly as it is not a tea to be sipped and it doesn’t taste good anyhow. The calming effects are typically noticed within 15-20 minutes.  It can be useful if you have social anxiety. 

Testing

If you still are not sure if low GABA is causing your anxiety and are not sure which root cause to address, the Organic Acid Urine Test (OAT) can be helpful. (I am taking a 9 -hour course in Denver, CO in two weeks, just to learn how to read, interpret and use this test!).

Bottom Line

Diet and lifestyle changes are important when addressing anxiety.  Supplementation is helpful but for most people supplementation is going to work only so much if you don’t address the other two factors of your life. 

 

Sources

(1)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18091016

(2)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6844712

(3)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/

(4)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2478222

(5)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604320

(6)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20550553

(7)   https://drjockers.com/gaba

(8)   Bauman, E. & Friedlander, J. (2014) Therapeutic Nutrition. CA: Bauman College

(9)    https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

(10)Hyman, M. (2009) The Ultra Mind Solution. NY: Scribner

(11)Bongiorno, P. (2015) Put Anxiety Behind You. CA: Conari Press

(12) https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/natural-ways-to-increase-gaba/#supplements_to_increase_GABA

(13) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12383029