Let's learn about the brain secret that calms your mind - GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)?

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed, anxious, or just plain scared? Or do you suffer from insomnia at night? Behind these things may be a small chemical messenger in our brain. That's what we're going to talk about today. It's GABA. It acts like the 'cool' button in our brain.

What is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)?

Simply put, GABA is a chemical that transmits messages between nerve cells (neurons) in our brain. It's like a smart postman in our body. But what's special about it is that it mainly "calms down" the brain's unnecessary activity. That is, it stops the brain's nerve cells from being overly stimulated and agitated. Scientists call these kinds of chemicals neurotransmitters. Think of GABA as a "brake" that controls the speed of our central nervous system, which includes our brain and spinal cord. It's what helps us not to get too excited or afraid.

How does GABA work? What happens inside our brain?

Now look at how this GABA works inside our brain. It's a very amazing mechanism. We have millions and billions of nerve cells in our brain. We need to send a message from one nerve cell to another. There is actually a small gap between these two nerve cells. That is called a `(Synapse)` or a nerve junction.

A `(Neurotransmitter)` like GABA does this by taking the message across this junction and attaching to specific `(Receptors)` on the next nerve cell. It's like a key fitting into a lock. Just as not every key can open every lock, not every `(Neurotransmitter)` can attach to every `(Receptor)`. GABA also has two specific `(Receptors)` that recognize it – `(GABA-A)` and `(GABA-B)`.

So, when GABA goes and binds to these receptors, it reduces the ability of the next nerve cell to respond. That is, it reduces the chance of that cell making an unnecessary message or sending it to someone else. This is why GABA is called an "inhibitory" or calming neurotransmitter.

What health benefits does GABA provide?

So, what health benefits do we get from GABA, which calms the brain in this way? There are actually many. Imagine, you are very ``stressed'', that is, when you are under a lot of stress, your mind is not in one place, you are very anxious, and your chest feels like it is pounding. At a time like that, if the GABA level in your body is right, it will calm your mind and help you reduce this stress .

GABA also has an amazing ability to control anxiety . It helps reduce unnecessary fear and worry about everything.

Another thing is, some people can't sleep at night. They just toss and turn when they go to bed, but they don't seem to sleep at all. Current research suggests that GABA also helps with good, restful sleep .

GABA and Glutamate: The Brain's 'On-Off' Switch

Along with GABA, there is another very important `(Neurotransmitter)` in our brain. It is `(Glutamate)`. These two work like two sides of a coin, or like two 'on' and 'off' switches. That is, in opposite directions to each other.

• GABA: 'Turns off' brain activity and calms it down (inhibitory).
• Glutamate: 'Turns on' and stimulates brain activity (stimulant).

So, for our brain to function healthily and properly, there needs to be a delicate balance between the calming power of GABA and the stimulating power of `(Glutamate) . Just like the accelerator and the brake of a car. Only when both work properly and on time can we travel smoothly and safely. If this balance is lost, various problems arise. Surprisingly, this calming agent called GABA is also produced from the stimulant `(Glutamate). A special `(enzyme)` is involved in it, that is, an enzyme (`glutamic acid decarboxylase`).

GABA also works together with another neurotransmitter, serotonin. In fact, many neurotransmitters work together, sometimes in opposition to each other, to keep our bodies and brains functioning properly.

Diseases that can be caused by low GABA levels

Imagine what would happen if this GABA message exchange were not working properly, meaning that GABA levels in the brain were low? This could lead to a variety of neurological and mental health problems. Research has found that reduced GABA activity can contribute to conditions such as:

• Anxiety and mood disorders: Feeling constantly afraid, worried, losing happiness, and unable to focus.
Schizophrenia : A complex mental illness characterized by a loss of connection with reality and seeing, hearing, and thinking things that are not real.
• Autism spectrum disorder: A developmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication.
• Depression: A long-term feeling of sadness, loss of interest in anything, and a feeling of being bored with life.
• Epilepsy and seizures: Conditions such as convulsions and seizures that occur in the body due to sudden, uncontrolled hyperactivity of nerve cells in the brain.

In addition to these major conditions, there are several other diseases thought to be associated with GABA imbalance:

• Pyridoxine deficiency:This is a rare disease. It is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which is essential for the production of GABA. This usually causes frequent seizures in young children. These seizures are difficult to control with standard anti-epileptic drugs, but can be cured with vitamin supplements.
• Hepatic encephalopathy: Severe liver disease affecting brain function.
• Huntington's disease: An inherited disease that gradually destroys brain cells.
• Dystonia and spasticity: Conditions characterized by abnormal muscle stiffness and twitching.
• Hypersomnia: Feeling excessively sleepy or sleeping too much during the day.

Does increasing GABA levels provide health benefits?

Researchers are still studying the effects of increasing GABA levels. Although the evidence is not yet completely clear, it is being investigated whether GABA may help treat or prevent certain health conditions. For example:

• High blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Diabetes

Further research is needed on these.

Types of drugs that target GABA

Because of this importance of GABA, drug manufacturers have developed many drugs that target GABA ``receptors''. These work by either helping or enhancing GABA's natural calming effects. You may have heard of these:

• Benzodiazepines: This class of drugs includes diazepam (also known as Valium) and alprazolam (also known as Xanax) and are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and alcohol withdrawal. They are also used as anesthesia during surgery.
• Barbiturates: These are also a type of sedative that causes drowsiness. However, their use is now less common.
• Vigabatrin (Sabril®): A medication used to treat seizures and muscle spasms in young children.
• Flumazenil (Romazicon®): Used to treat benzodiazepine overdose. It is also used to improve mental status in hepatic encephalopathy, a condition caused by liver disease.
• Valproic acid: This is a mood-stabilizing drug that controls epileptic seizures.
• Zolpidem (also known as Ambien® or Edluar®): This is a major medication for insomnia.
• Propofol (also known as Diprivan®): A drug used to sedate and put a patient to sleep during general anesthesia.
• Baclofen (`Baclofen (Lioresal®, Gablofen®)`): A muscle relaxant.

Remember: These and other similar medications should only be used under medical supervision. Using them on your own, or just because someone next door told you to, can cause serious harm. So be careful.

Are GABA supplements useful?

Now some may ask, 'Then why can't we buy GABA as a supplement?' Yes, GABA is available as a dietary supplement. But there's a small problem here. It's still not clear exactly how much of the GABA we take orally actually enters our brains.

Because, our brain is surrounded by a very special protective membrane called the "blood-brain barrier". This is like a gate, not allowing all chemicals to easily enter the brain, only allowing selected ones. So, there is still not enough strong scientific evidence to say whether these GABA supplements really have an effect on the brain or not. Therefore, more research needs to be done on this using a larger group of people. Given the current situation, it is not wise to use GABA supplements without talking to a doctor.

Are there any foods that contain GABA?

GABA is also naturally present in some foods. For example:

• Fermented foods: things like kimchi (a Korean pickle), miso (a Japanese soy paste), and tempeh (an Indonesian soy product).
• Tea types: Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea also contain GABA.
• Other foods: Foods such as brown rice, soybeans, peas, chestnuts (a type of peanut), mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts (a type of small cabbage), sprouted grains (e.g., green beans when sprouted), and sweet potatoes also contain GABA or help the body produce GABA.

But as mentioned about supplements, there is still no clear explanation for how much GABA from these foods actually reaches the brain. It is good to include them as part of a healthy diet, but it is not advisable to rely solely on these foods as a specific treatment for a specific condition. Also, seek medical advice about this.

Finally, things to remember (Take-Home Message)

So, you probably now understand that GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) that we talked about today is a neurotransmitter that calms our brain and is very important for our mental health, sleep, and the functioning of our body in general.

It helps control anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Low GABA levels can lead to various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Some medications work by targeting the GABA system.

Further scientific research is needed on the benefits of GABA supplements and GABA-containing foods. Therefore, if you have any concerns, doubts, or questions about GABA, the best and safest thing to do is to see your family doctor, discuss your situation, and get the right advice.Don't go to work based on guesses or hearsay. Your health is valuable to you.

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