JS022 Intro to Brain: GABA 101 (RELAXATION and MOOD)
Episode description
GABA is one of the most important amino acid produced in our brain. It acts like the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, working to calm neurons that are firing in excited patterns.
It controls our mood, ability to focus, promotes relaxation and controls stress. Glutamate speeds things up in the brain, GABA does the opposite. So you can clearly see where we’re going with this…
How does GABA work in the brain?
It’s synthesized directly from the neurotransmitter glutamate de-carb-oxy-lase and can be reversed back to glutamate via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Brain GABA concentrations and systemic GABA have a reflective effect on each other, which means change in one causes change in the other. This is how GABA self-inhibits itself, by keeping the concentration inside the brain constant.......continue reading