Is GABA Harmful to Your Health? Dosage Matters for This Supplement

2024-04-08 10:41:34

Whether gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA for short, is harmful to health depends on the dosage in which the drug is taken.

Under discussion: Whether GABA is harmful to health

Gamma-aminobutyric acid is present in every body. The substance, known as GABA for short, is a so-called inhibitory neurotransmitter. If there is too little GABA, the nervous system gets out of sync. That’s why the substance has been advertised for several years as a dietary supplement, for example against sleep disorders or depression but also against pain and muscle growth. However, his use is not without criticism.

• GABA is a neurotransmitter formed in the body from glutamic acid (glutamate). This takes place primarily in the cells of the nervous system. The substance is a completely natural player in your body.
• GABA plays an important role in the central nervous system. It binds to specific GABA receptors and ensures the opening of so-called ion channels, so that the nerve conduction is slowed down.
• What sounds complicated can be translated simply: GABA has a relaxing and stress-reducing effect when it can work in the brain.
• Proponents and suppliers of GABA also claim that the substance has positive effects on pain, that it can reduce high blood pressure and help athletes gain muscle faster and lose fat.
• Critics question the seriousness of the statements. The crux of the matter is that GABA can only partially cross the blood-brain barrier. This means that the relaxing messenger substance does not reach the brain in the amount that would be necessary to compensate for a possible deficiency in its own synthesis.
• Even more critical, however, is that GABA, taken in excess or regularly, could also be harmful.
• “GABA is a strongly sedative substance that, in higher doses, causes both memory loss and reduces or eliminates resistance during sexual acts,” said Hannes Bacher, who is involved in the Salzburg Addiction Help Center, in 2019.
• From a scientific perspective, the study situation on GABA is far from sufficient to be able to recommend the substance as a dietary supplement. Individual independent study evaluations indicate that the effect of GABA has not been sufficiently proven.

Not harmful to health from self-synthesis: GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter that influences ion channels on nerve cellsimago images / Dreamstime

Safe use of GABA

Although GABA is naturally produced in the central nervous system, the nutritional supplement should not be consumed uncritically.

• Due to a lack of data and individual differences in sensitivity, manufacturers recommend starting with small doses and gradually increasing the intake of GABA.
• Preparations usually contain 100 to 750 milligrams of GABA per intake unit (tablet, capsule).
• If you are considering taking GABA, we recommend that you consult your doctor.
• High daily doses of GABA of 5-10 grams could cause excessive blood pressure lowering effects and a burning sensation in the throat.
• A safety recommendation for the dosage of GABA is therefore: You should not take more than 3 grams daily and no single dosage of more than 750 milligrams.