How to Increase GABA
Health ConditionsHormones & Metabolic Disorders

What Is GABA?

What Is GABA?
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Updated on March 6, 2026
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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.

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

GABA has a calming effect and plays an important role in anxiety, fear, sleep, and stress.

Lower than normal levels of GABA in the brain have been linked to depression, sleep disorders, increased anxiety, and schizophrenia.

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 GABA receptors, mimicking its natural calming effects.

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 can be addictive and 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.

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, 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).

The Takeaway

  • Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in behavior, cognition, and regulating stress.
  • Low levels of GABA are linked to anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders.
  • Some prescription drugs, like benzodiazepines, diazepam, and zolpidem, can mimic the effects of GABA.
  • GABA supplements may help treat depression, anxiety, and insomnia, but more research is needed to confirm these effects.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
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.
Resources
  1. Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA). Cleveland Clinic. April 25, 2022.
  2. Chen RJ. GABA Receptor. StatPearls. February 18, 2025.
  3. Edinoff AN. Benzodiazepines: Uses, Dangers, and Clinical Considerations. Neurology International. November 10, 2021.
  4. How to Taper Off Benzodiazepines . American Addiction Centers. August 23, 2024.
  5. Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) . Cleveland Clinic. April 25, 2022.
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Jason Paul Chua, MD, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Jason Chua, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Division of Movement Disorders at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He received his training at the University of Michigan, where he obtained medical and graduate degrees, then completed a residency in neurology and a combined clinical/research fellowship in movement disorders and neurodegeneration.

Dr. Chua’s primary research interests are in neurodegenerative disease, with a special focus on the cellular housekeeping pathway of autophagy and its impact on disease development in diseases such as Parkinson disease. His work has been supported by multiple research training and career development grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the American Academy of Neurology. He is the primary or coauthor of 14 peer-reviewed scientific publications and two peer-reviewed online learning modules from the American Academy of Neurology. He is also a contributing author to The Little Black Book of Neurology by Osama Zaldat, MD and Alan Lerner, MD, and has peer reviewed for the scientific journals Autophagy, eLife, and Neurobiology of Disease.

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Lindsey Konkel

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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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