Evidence supporting the use of: Aminobutyric acid (unspecified)
For the health condition: Nervousness

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Aminobutyric acid, most commonly referring to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. GABA’s role in reducing neuronal excitability underlies its implication in the regulation of anxiety, stress, and nervousness. Several dietary supplements contain "GABA" or aminobutyric acid and are marketed for the support of nervousness and related symptoms.

Scientific evidence for the efficacy of oral GABA supplementation in treating nervousness is limited. While preclinical studies and some small clinical trials suggest that GABAergic activity is associated with anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effects, the central issue is that orally administered GABA has poor ability to cross the blood-brain barrier in humans. This limits its direct impact on brain GABA levels. A few small human studies (such as those using EEG or stress provocation tests) have reported modest acute calming effects with oral GABA, but these studies are typically small, not always well-controlled, and their results are not universally accepted.

Currently, major clinical guidelines do not recommend GABA/aminobutyric acid supplements for nervousness due to insufficient high-quality evidence. Prescription medications that enhance GABAergic transmission (such as benzodiazepines) are proven anxiolytics, but this does not imply that oral GABA supplements are effective in the same way. Thus, the scientific support for using aminobutyric acid (unspecified) for nervousness is weak, meriting a rating of 2 out of 5.

More about Aminobutyric acid (unspecified)
More about Nervousness

Other health conditions supported by Aminobutyric acid (unspecified)

Anxiety
Epilepsy
Insomnia
Nervousness
Seizures
Sleep (restless and disturbed)
Stress
Tension

Products containing Aminobutyric acid (unspecified)

We currently have no products on Vitabase that contain this ingredient.