GABA

check icon Optimal Result: 600 - 1100 ug/g Cr.

GABA is a neurotransmitter that occurs naturally and is known for its calming effects on the body. It is also associated with regulating the sleep/wake cycle. If we experience feelings of anxiety or hyperactivity, it could indicate an imbalance in GABA levels. This imbalance could also lead to sleep disturbances, ranging from difficulty sleeping to excessive drowsiness, depending on the severity of the imbalance. Testing for GABA levels can help identify the extent of the imbalance and the best approach to correcting it. A diet rich in GABA-containing foods, its precursor, and cofactors can help correct high or low levels of GABA.

What does GABA do?

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter produced in the brain. GABA is also produced and functions in the periphery. As an inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA blocks excitatory neurotransmitters by decreasing stimulation of nerve cells. This blocking action by GABA leads to the calming effect that GABA is known to produce, which helps reduce anxiousness, regulate sleep, and make us feel calmer.

How is GABA made in the body?

GABA is formed from glutamate with the help of the enzyme GAD (glutamate decarboxylase) and its cofactor, vitamin B6. Although GABA is primarily produced in the central nervous system, specifically the brain, it is also produced in the enteric nervous system, the kidney and the b-cells of the pancreas. Consuming foods that support production of GABA in the body may help increase GABA levels. GABA and its precursor glutamate are also naturally present in a number of food sources such as cruciferous vegetables, beans, peas, spinach, mushrooms, buckwheat, rice and other grains, tomatoes, oolong and white teas. 3

GABA Pathway.:GABA is synthesized from glutamate. Upon being metabolized, it can be recycled into glutamate. 

Enzymes: 

GS: Glutamine Synthetase, GA: Glutaminase, GAD 1: Glutamate Decarboxylase, GABA-AT: GABA Aminotransferase, SSADH: Succinate Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase, GDH: Glutamate dehydrogenase, AST: Aspartate transaminase 

Cofactors:

Mg: Magnesium, Mn: Magnanese, Vit: Vitamin

How does GABA affect the brain?

GABA helps you feel calmer by decreasing nerve cell stimulation in the brain, which blocks excitatory neurotransmitters. This activity of GABA leads to calming effects. Therefore, having sufficient levels of GABA helps with: 4,5

  • Calm and relaxation
  • Mood
  • Regulation of excitability
  • Sleep regulation

What happens when you have a GABA imbalance?

Imbalanced GABA levels are associated with a number of health concerns that impact quality of life. For example:

  • Mental and Emotional Health
    • Low GABA symptoms include anxiousness, sad feelings, and mood swings. 6
  • High GABA symptoms include poor cognition/difficulty concentrating and difficulties with memory.
  • Sleep Disruptions
  • Poor sleep, including difficulty falling and staying asleep, is linked to GABA deficiency. 5

How does GABA become imbalanced?

A number of factors can disrupt GABA levels or associated hormones and neurotransmitters. These factors include:

  • Alcohol consumption. Over time alcohol intake can cause down-regulation of GABA receptors, resulting in low GABA levels. 8
  • Poor diet or maldigestion. The nutrients and cofactors found in foods necessary to make GABA can affect GABA levels. 3 Therefore, a poor diet can potentially cause low GABA levels. Some people can eat a healthy diet but due to maldigestion or malabsorption, they may still have low GABA.
  • Stress. Over time stress can cause elevated levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. As GABA rises to inhibit the effect of these catecholamines, it can become depleted. 9

How can we naturally support GABA?

It is possible to encourage healthy levels of GABA through lifestyle measures, including:

  • Consuming foods that contain GABA, or support its production, may help increase GABA levels.
    High GABA foods include: 3
    • Brown rice
    • Cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
    • Mushrooms
    • Spinach
    • Sprouted grains
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Tomatoes
  • Dietary supplements containing ingredients that support GABA receptors can reduce symptoms associated with imbalanced GABA. These supplements can also support the inhibitory properties of GABA and symptoms associated with low GABA: 15-18
    • L-Theanine
    • Magnesium
    • Taurine
  • Patients can take GABA in a supplement form to improve GABA levels. Vitamin B6 is also an important cofactor in the production of GABA from glutamic acid.
  • Exercise, such as high-intensity exercise, can also increase GABA levels. 19

References:

  1. Ranjbar-Slamloo Y, Fazlali Z. Front Mol Neurosci. 2019;12:334.
  2. Halson SL. Sports Med. 2014;44 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S13-23.
  3. Briguglio M, Dell’Osso B, et al. Nutrients. 2018;10(5).
  4. Ngo DH, Vo TS. Molecules. 2019;24(15).
  5. Bruni O, Ferini-Strambi L, et al. Nutrients. 2021;13(2).
  6. Duman RS, Sanacora G, et al. Neuron. 2019;102(1):75-90.
  7. StatPearls Publishing. Published 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551683/.
  8. Koob GF, Colrain IM. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020;45(1):141-165.
  9. Chaves T, Fazekas CL, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(16).
  10. Barthelemy C, Bruneau N, et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 1988;18(4):583-591.
  11. Llorente AM, Voigt RG, et al. Clin Neuropsychol. 2006;20(1):133-144.
  12. Nichkova MI, Huisman H, et al. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2012;402(4):1593-1600.
  13. Grossman F, Potter WZ. Psychiatry Res. 1999;87(1):21-27.
  14. Linnoila M, Miller TL, et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984;41(7):688-692.
  15. Eschenauer G, Sweet BV. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006;63(1):26, 28-30.
  16. Kakuda T, Nozawa A, et al. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2002;66(12):2683-2686.
  17. Jia F, Yue M, et al. J Neurosci. 2008;28(1):106-115.
  18. Held K, Antonijevic IA, et al. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002;35(4):135-143.
  19. Coxon JP, Cash RFH, et al. J Physiol. 2018;596(4):691-702.

What does it mean if your GABA result is too high?

GABA may be synonymous with getting a good night’s sleep and is sometimes taken to optimize sleep. However, excess GABA can cause drowsiness and daytime sleepiness. 7 In instances when GABA is being considered as a supplement, testing for GABA levels may be helpful to determine how much GABA should you take. Tailoring supplementation of GABA to an individual’s test results can help to avoid excessive supplementation and high GABA symptoms.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

What does it mean if your GABA result is too low?

GABA works in conjunction with other neurotransmitters, most notably serotonin. As inhibitory neurotransmitters, GABA and serotonin should both be present in adequate levels to ensure that each can carry out their inhibitory effects in the body. When serotonin levels are low, GABA may compensate to ensure that inhibitory effects continue; this can ultimately lead to low GABA levels. Insufficient levels of GABA or serotonin would further impact the ability to counteract excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.

Additionally, elevated glutamate may be an indicator of low GABA and underlying cofactor deficiencies. GABA also interacts with hormones in the body. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) blocks GABA, which can result in increased levels of glutamate. Progesterone’s metabolite allopregnanolone increases GABA activity while excessive GABA inhibits thyroid function.

What happens when you have a GABA imbalance?

Imbalanced GABA levels are associated with a number of health concerns that impact quality of life. For example:

  • Mental and Emotional Health
    • Low GABA symptoms include anxiousness, sad feelings, and mood swings. 6
  • High GABA symptoms include poor cognition/difficulty concentrating and difficulties with memory.
  • Sleep Disruptions
  • Poor sleep, including difficulty falling and staying asleep, is linked to GABA deficiency. 5

How does GABA become imbalanced?

A number of factors can disrupt GABA levels or associated hormones and neurotransmitters. These factors include:

  • Alcohol consumption. Over time alcohol intake can cause down-regulation of GABA receptors, resulting in low GABA levels. 8
  • Poor diet or maldigestion. The nutrients and cofactors found in foods necessary to make GABA can affect GABA levels. 3 Therefore, a poor diet can potentially cause low GABA levels. Some people can eat a healthy diet but due to maldigestion or malabsorption, they may still have low GABA.
  • Stress. Over time stress can cause elevated levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. As GABA rises to inhibit the effect of these catecholamines, it can become depleted. 9

How can we naturally support GABA?

It is possible to encourage healthy levels of GABA through lifestyle measures, including:

  • Consuming foods that contain GABA, or support its production, may help increase GABA levels.
    High GABA foods include: 3
    • Brown rice
    • Cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
    • Mushrooms
    • Spinach
    • Sprouted grains
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Tomatoes
  • Dietary supplements containing ingredients that support GABA receptors can reduce symptoms associated with imbalanced GABA. These supplements can also support the inhibitory properties of GABA and symptoms associated with low GABA: 15-18
    • L-Theanine
    • Magnesium
    • Taurine
  • Patients can take GABA in a supplement form to improve GABA levels. Vitamin B6 is also an important cofactor in the production of GABA from glutamic acid.
  • Exercise, such as high-intensity exercise, can also increase GABA levels. 19

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image