Gaba Gamma aminobutyric acid What is Gaba A
Gaba Gamma aminobutyric acid
What is Gaba? • A naturally occurring amino acid that works as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in our brain. It is a chemical messenger. • It is formed from glutamate by the action of glutamate decarboxylase. Glutamine serves as the precursor for glutamate, making phosphate-activated glutaminase, an important enzyme for GABA synthesis as well.
How does it affect the body & mind connection? • GABA plays a role in the communication in the brain, specifically the hippocampus and neocortex. • It blocks or inhibits specific signals in the central nervous system and decreases activity in our nervous system, in other words, slowing down the brain. This provides a protective and calming effect on the brain and body. • It promotes sleep, relieving anxiety, and protecting the brain. It is also being used to relieve anxiety, improve mood, reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). • It plays a key role in the regulation of food intake and body weight by controlling the excitability, plasticity and the synchronization of neuronal activity in the frontal cortex. • It is also used for promoting lean muscle growth, burning fat, stabilizing blood pressure, and relieving pain.
Effects of having too little or too much Gaba • A lack of GABA leaves your central nervous system with too many neuronal signals and causes conditions like epilepsy, seizures or mood disorders. • In those who are deficient in GABA, feelings of anxiety, stress and worry can be common symptoms. This may lead to alcohol cravings, as alcohol targets GABA receptors and mimics the effect of this neurotransmitter, helping to relax the mind and body. • Too much GABA means not enough brain activity and can lead to hypersomnia or daytime sleepiness.
How to stimulate Gaba? Asana Practice A study conducted by National Library of Medicine (https: //pubmed. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/17532734/) shows that the asana practice is associated with an increase in Gaba levels. 8 yoga practitioners were found to have 27% increase in Gaba levels after a 60 minutes yoga session. Pranayama (Breathing exercise) Pranayama helps to mediate the vagus nerve through interconnections between peripheral sensory organs, the solitary nucleus, thalamus, limbic areas, and the prefrontal cortex. It further enhances GABA inhibition from the prefrontal cortex and insular to the amygdala. Meditation The process of meditation increases activation in the prefrontal cortex and stimulates the reticular nucleus of the thalamus, implicating the production and delivery of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, which is Gaba.
Too much Gaba? • Majority experience deficient in Gaba, it is rare for one to experience excessive Gaba. • However, alcohol is an agonist of GABA receptors, which means alcohol binds to certain GABA receptors in the brain, where it replicates the activity of GABA. It caused relaxation or exhaustion. • It does not increase production of GABA, but continued exposure to alcohol over time can desensitise GABA receptors. Our brains may become overstimulated and unable to regulate GABA on their own, therefore, to regulate the optimal level of Gaba, one is suggests to control alcohol consumption.
What else can we do to increase / regulate Gaba? • Majority of people can do the breathing and deep relaxation poses. However, in some cases, for physical or medical reasons, not all can practice Asana and Pranayama. • Running is another type of exercise that activates the metabolic pathway that replenishes Gaba. • Consuming food that contain glutamic acid (e. g. almond, walnuts, brown rice), fermented food (e. g. Kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, yogurt), flavonoids (e. g. blueberries, apples, green tea) would help to increase and regulate the level of Gaba.
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