GABA

What Is GABA?

GABA is gamma-aminobutyric acid, the nervous system's main inhibitory signal: the message that tells a neuron to quiet down rather than fire. The body makes it from glutamate, the main excitatory signal, so the two sit one enzyme apart. Vitamin B6 is included because that enzyme needs it.

How It Works in the Body

The enzyme is glutamate decarboxylase, and it cannot run without pyridoxal 5-phosphate, the active form of vitamin B6. Remove one carboxyl group from glutamate and you have GABA. Where GABA meets its receptors, chloride channels open and the cell becomes harder to excite, which is what inhibition means at the molecular level. Those receptors are not only in the brain; the enteric nervous system in the gut wall carries them as well.

What It Supports

• A calm, balanced mood: GABA is the nervous system's main inhibitory signal, which supports a calm, balanced mood.
• Restful sleep: The same inhibitory signaling quiets nerve activity, so GABA supports restful sleep.
• Neurotransmitter synthesis: Vitamin B6, as pyridoxal 5-phosphate, is the cofactor the body requires to make GABA from glutamate.
• Nervous system function: B6 is involved in making several neurotransmitters, so it plays a role in normal nervous system function.

Who It May Suit

This suits adults who want a single compound rather than a botanical blend, and people building an evening wind-down routine. GABA is also made by fermenting bacteria, so anyone eating fermented foods already meets it. The capsule is cellulose with rice flour, which fits vegetarian and vegan eating.

Good To Know

The B6 here is pyridoxine, which the body converts to the active form, and B6 adds up across supplements, so it is worth knowing what else you take. Talk with your healthcare provider before use, especially if you take sedatives, sleep medication, anti-seizure medication or blood pressure medication.