What Is GABA?
GABA is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid; the full name is 4-Aminobutyric acid. It is an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous systems of mammals and has a regulatory effect on various bodily functions.
It plays a crucial role in the human cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, exerting a regulatory effect on various bodily functions. When GABA is deficient in the human body, emotions such as anxiety, restlessness, fatigue, and worry will occur. Supplementing GABA can alleviate these emotions, especially for athletes and office workers who are in high-stress environments.
How GABA Works
GABA is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It works by inhibiting neurotransmitters, which block chemical messages, decreasing the stimulation of nerve cells in the brain.
Neurotransmitters have the function of transmitting information. They carry messages from one nerve cell in the brain to another. There is a small fluid-filled space between each nerve cell, called a synapse. Neurotransmitters must pass through this synapse to transmit information and then bind to specific receptors on the next nerve cell.
There are two types of GABA receptors on nerve cells – GABA-A and GABA-B. Although they work in different ways, when they bind to these receptors, they reduce the responsiveness of the nerve cell. This means that as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, it reduces the ability of a nerve cell to receive, generate, or send messages to other nerve cells.
GABA and Health
1. Relieve stress and promote sleep
In terms of anxiety, the role of GABA is to produce sedative and anti-anxiety effects by reducing the excitability of neurons. Anxiety is usually associated with a decrease in GABA levels in the brain, so increasing its activity can alleviate anxiety symptoms.
In terms of sleep, GABA promotes relaxation and sleep by reducing the release of excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain. An increase in 4-Aminobutyric acid can reduce brain activity, help people fall asleep faster, and improve sleep quality.
2. Improve cognitive function
GABA affects learning and memory by regulating synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. For example, in the hippocampus region, its currents play an important role in regulating learning and memory.
It can enhance attention and focus, thereby improving memory and learning. This is particularly important for the elderly, as it can help delay cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Lowers blood pressure
The main mechanism of action of GABA is to achieve antihypertensive effects by regulating the central nervous system. It acts on the vascular motor center of the spinal cord, effectively promoting vasodilation and lowering blood pressure.
4. Promotes growth hormone secretion
GABA can stimulate the hypothalamus, which in turn promotes increased secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. This effect can be indirectly achieved to some extent by improving sleep quality, as sleep is the peak period of growth hormone secretion.
In addition, it has an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, which can improve sleep quality, prolong sleep time, and thus be more conducive to the secretion of growth hormone.
5. Repair the skin barrier
In recent years, domestic and foreign experts have discovered that GABA plays an important role in the skin care industry. In the skin, it can promote dermal remodeling, antioxidation, and help repair the epidermal barrier.
In terms of anti-aging, it can exert miraculous effects, stimulating fibroblasts to synthesize collagen and hyaluronic acid, an antioxidant, and promoting the repair of the skin barrier. This makes the skin more elastic, and with the increase of endogenous hyaluronic acid, the problem of dry skin can also be solved to a certain extent.
How to increase GABA
1.food source
Because it is synthesized from glutamate, we can supplement foods rich in glutamate to increase GABA
- Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms.
- Grains: Brown rice, whole grains, sprouted grains, oats, barley.
- Legumes: Lentils, fava beans, soybeans, adzuki beans.
- Nuts and Seeds: Walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
2. GABA Nutritional supplements
GABA supplements are generally considered safe, and the best time to consume them is 1-2 hours before bedtime. Studies have shown that the normal dose for using GABA is about 120 milligrams. However, the required dosage may vary due to other reasons such as age and gender. Please read the label carefully and follow its instructions for use. If you experience any discomfort, please consult a doctor.
Application of GABA
1. Food and beverage industry
The food industry is one of its main application areas. Due to its ability to relieve stress, improve sleep, stabilize emotions, and lower blood pressure, GABA is widely added to various functional foods and beverages, such as:
GABA tea: The GABA content in tea is increased through fermentation and other processes.
Functional dairy products: yogurt, fermented milk, etc.
Candy, chocolate, baked goods, and puffed foods: added as a functional ingredient.
2. Pharmaceutical and Health Products Industry
Dietary supplements: They can be used as an oral supplement to alleviate anxiety, improve sleep, reduce stress, and combat fatigue.
Adjuvant therapy for neurological disorders: GABA as a drug requires more clinical research, but its properties as a neurotransmitter make it valuable for research in neuroprotection, anti-epileptic effects, and improving cognitive function.
Sports nutrition： It helps athletes recover and reduce fatigue after intense exercise.
Blood pressure-lowering products: Products that help lower patients’ blood pressure.
Anti-aging products: regulating emotions, improving sleep, antioxidant effects, etc. It also has potential applications in the field of anti-aging.
3. Cosmetics industry
Anti-aging products: It can bind to GABA receptors on skin cells, relaxing tense facial muscles and reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
Repair and brighten skin tone: promote fibroblast proliferation, enhance the synthesis of hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen, maintain skin moisture and elasticity. At the same time, it can promote epidermal cell proliferation, repair the stratum corneum barrier, stimulate glutathione secretion, eliminate free radicals, reduce skin damage, and thus brighten skin tone.
Firming products: used in cream, lotion, essence, facial mask, and other products.
4. Agriculture and animal husbandry (animal feed) industry
- Agriculture
Improving plant stress resistance: GABA is also involved in stress response in plants and has been found to enhance plant tolerance to high temperature, low temperature, salt, alkali, and other stresses, reduce yield loss, and improve crop quality.
Promoting plant growth: At a certain concentration, plant growth can be promoted through seed treatment or foliar spraying.
High GABA agricultural products: Developing crops rich in GABA through breeding or biotechnology, such as high 4-Aminobutyric acid rice, to provide native agricultural products with health benefits.
- Animal Husbandry
Feed additive: As a safe and efficient feed additive, it has a positive effect on animal production.
Improving animal productivity: Studies have shown that adding an appropriate amount of 4-Aminobutyric acid to the diet can improve animal feed intake, growth performance, intestinal function, enhance disease resistance, stress resistance, and even have a positive impact on milk protein production.
Relieve animal stress: Especially during the breeding process, it can help animals alleviate stress reactions.
With people’s continuous pursuit of health and demand for functional products, its application in various industries will become increasingly broad and have good market prospects as it advances in biotechnology and fermentation technology.
Where can you get 4-Aminobutyric acid?
Runtai Chemical is a professional and reliable Chinese manufacturer of 4-Aminobutyric acid with higher purity and lower price for 15 years. If you are interested in our product, feel free to contact us for samples!
