What Is GABA?
Health ConditionsHormones & Metabolic Disorders

What Is GABA?

Some prescription drugs can mimic the effects of GABA, an important neurotransmitter.
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Updated on August 25, 2023
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Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is a neurotransmitter that sends chemical messages through the brain and the nervous system, and is involved in regulating communication between brain cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The role of GABA is to inhibit or reduce the activity of the neurons or nerve cells.

GABA plays an important role in behavior, cognition, and the body’s response to stress, research has shown.

Research also suggests that GABA helps to control fear and anxiety when neurons become overexcited, notes McGill University.

Lower-than-normal levels of GABA in the brain have been linked to schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders, as the Cleveland Clinic notes.

GABA Receptors

GABA receptors on nerve cells receive the chemical messages that help to inhibit or reduce nerve impulses.

Prescription medications called benzodiazepines bind to and then enhance GABA expression, mimicking GABA’s natural calming effects, according to research.

Diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan) are among the most widely prescribed benzodiazepines for insomnia and anxiety disorders. They slow down the body’s central nervous system and cause sleepiness.

Benzodiazepines should be used only as prescribed. Taking too much can lead to shallow breathing, clammy skin, dilated pupils, weak pulse, coma, and death.

Medications used to treat insomnia, including zolpidem (Ambien) and eszopiclone (Lunesta), work by improving the ability of GABA to bind to GABA receptors in the brain, per the Cleveland Clinic.

GABA Supplements

GABA supplements, taken alone or in combination with other ingredients, are marketed widely for use in treating depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

While a few small studies have suggested that GABA supplements may help to lower anxiety levels, the Cleveland Clinic notes that more scientific evidence is needed to support these overall claims.

GABA supplements may increase levels of the chemical circulating in the blood, but there is little evidence to suggest that circulating GABA can pass through the blood-brain barrier and increase GABA levels in the brain.

Talk to your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before taking GABA supplements (or any other supplements).

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Jessica Baity, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Jessica Baity, MD, is a board-certified neurologist practicing in southern Louisiana. She cares for a variety of patients in all fields of neurology, including epilepsy, headache, dementia, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, and stroke.

She received a bachelor's degree in international studies and history from the University of Miami and a master's in international relations from American University. She graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, where she also did her internship in internal medicine and her residency in neurology.

Prior to practicing medicine, she worked in international relations and owned a foreign language instruction and translation company. 

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Lindsey Konkel is an award-winning freelance journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering health, science, and the environment. Her work has appeared online and in print for Newsweek, National Geographic, Huffington Post, Consumer Reports, Everyday Health, Science, Environmental Health Perspectives, UCSF Magazine, American Association for Cancer Research, and others.

She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at Environmental Health News. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from NYU’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program and a bachelor’s degree in biology from College of the Holy Cross.

Konkel lives in Haddon Township, New Jersey, with her husband, daughter, three cats, and dog. When she isn't writing, she handles social media and content marketing for a small veterinary clinic she started with her husband, Neabore Veterinary Clinic.

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Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Additional Sources
  • Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA). Cleveland Clinic. April 25, 2022.
  • Hasler G, van der Veen JW, Grillon C, et al. Effect of Acute Psychological Stress on Prefrontal GABA Concentration Determined by Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. The American Journal of Psychiatry. October 2010.
  • Anxiety Neurotransmitters. McGill University.
  • Rudolph U, Knoflach F. Beyond Classical Benzodiazepines: Novel Therapeutic Potential of GABAA Receptor Subtypes. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. September 2011.