Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon, non-protein amino acid that is widely distributed throughout biological organisms, including plants, animals, and microbes.
GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system and has been observed to increase rapidly during environmental stresses, indicating a potential role in stress response. GABA has been investigated for its effects on reducing stress and enhancing sleep in human studies, and for its other biological activities including anti-hypertension, anti-diabetes, anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-microbial, and anti-allergy effects. In the U.S., GABA is marketed as an ingredient in a number of dietary supplements. Some of the purported uses of GABA include to relieve anxiety, elevate mood, relieve premenstrual syndrome, increase lean muscle mass, burn fat, stabilize blood pressure, and relieve pain. GABA is a popular ingredient in sports dietary supplements and other wellness supplements; the global market size for GABA dietary supplements is projected to increase significantly.
Prior to developing a dietary supplement monograph, USP conducts a dietary supplement admission evaluation that includes a safety evaluation intended to determine whether an ingredient is associated with any serious risk to health that would preclude its admission for monograph development. This evaluation of GABA was conducted according to USP guidelines for the admission of dietary ingredients into the monograph development process and includes an assessment to determine whether GABA presents a serious risk to human health. This comprehensive review examined the use of GABA to control blood pressure and as an ergogenic in sports supplements; USP also examined its potential interaction with antihypertensive medications.
