GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid): What does it do?

GABA is a natural calming and anti-epileptic agent in the brain that is manufactured from the amino acid glutamine and glucose.

Since GABA does not cross the blood-brain barrier very well (i.e., it cannot be transported efficiently into the brain from the bloodstream), virtually all of the GABA found in the brain is manufactured there.¹ For that reason, supplemental GABA would not be expected to increase levels of GABA in the brain. Two doctors have reported that GABA is beneficial in the treatment of a variety of brain disorders, including epilepsy and schizophrenia.² However, those reports have not been substantiated with clinical trials. High intake of GABA was shown to produce a significant increase in plasma growth-hormone levels (single administration of 5,000 mg) and prolactin (daily administration of 18,000 mg for four days) in one human study³ but the clinical significance of these observations is not clear.