‘Gaba is the off switch of the brain’: Is it also the answer to better sleep, sobriety, and less anxiety?

The brain produces various neurotransmitters, and one, in particular, has caught the attention of researchers and inspired the creation of non-alcoholic drinks. GABA, short for gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid and a neurotransmitter produced by the brain and gut. A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that allows neurons to communicate with each other throughout the body.

As an inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA can slow down the speed of information transmission in the central nervous system by blocking specific nerve signals, which creates a calming effect. As a result of this calming effect, GABA helps the brain slow down. “GABA is the off switch of the brain,” David Nutt, a professor of Imperial College London in London, England, told The Guardian. Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist, states that, at its most basic level, brain activity involves billions of neurons turning on and off. “The turning on is glutamate; the turning off is GABA.”

GABA’s calming effects are linked to relaxation and better sleep. Medications prescribed to treat sleep problems, such as Zolpidem (Ambien) or benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, temazepam), function by enhancing GABA’s ability to reduce nerve activity and promote relaxation.

Because GABA is a naturally occurring substance, it can be found in certain foods, including broccoli, kale, spinach, and sweet potatoes. It is also found in fermented foods, such as tempeh and Kimchi, and certain herbs, such as ashwagandha, ginseng, linden, passionflower, and rosemary.

GABA can also be synthesized and included in supplements. People take GABA as a supplement to try to:

Limited studies have suggested that GABA might help lower blood pressure, as it regulates the central nervous system. Evidence also suggests that low levels of GABA are associated with conditions such as:

As a result, some medications target GABA to treat these conditions.

According to WebMD, there is not enough evidence to show whether GABA taken as a supplement reaches the brain in large enough quantities to have an effect. So, there is no set dosage for GABA at this time.

Also, there is not enough information on how GABA interacts with medications, foods, herbs, and supplements. It is recommended to talk to a doctor before using any GABA-related products.

New Non-Alcoholic Drinks Target GABA

Thanks to GABA, new non-alcoholic drinks containing ingredients that enhance the neurotransmitter’s activity are becoming popular. These mood-lifting drinks are for those who want the good feelings alcohol can give, like relaxation and sociability, but without the hangover or impaired judgment.

One brand getting attention is Sentia Spirits, which is marketed as a guilt-free alternative to alcohol for social gatherings and unwinding. Nutt was one of the creators.

“When we go into a social situation with strangers, the social parts of our brain are set to ‘slightly anxious’ because it’s better than being overconfident,” Nutt explained to The Guardian. “What alcohol does, and what Sentia does, is enhance the GABA there to take away that anxiety, so you can be as social as you really want to be.”

Research was conducted prior to the launch of Sentia Spirits in 2021 to provide scientific evidence for Sentia’s claims. For instance, an experiment conducted on mice at the University of Portsmouth in England revealed that Sentia enhances GABA levels in the gut within a mammalian system.

“The gut has a lot of GABA receptors, and GABA affects gut function,” Nutt explained to The Guardian. “And if you change gut function, then the nerves from the gut to the brain are changed, and therefore the brain is changed.” Nutt further stated, “There is growing evidence that the microbiome uses GABA to grow and to communicate between the various bugs, so GABA itself could be active at several levels.”

In another study, researchers took EEG scans on Sentia drinkers, which showed that GABA produces changes in the brain “compatible with relaxation and sociability.”

Nutt said he became interested in creating the zero-alcohol drink because of what he saw while treating patients.

“I spent most of my first 20 years as a doctor trying to treat people with alcohol withdrawal, alcohol craving, and alcohol brain damage,” Nutt said.

Mark Wong said he founded the alcohol-free Impossibrew beer because he had to quit drinking for health reasons. The 28-year-old former student home brewer told The Guardian that he developed the non-alcohol alternative with Dr. Paul Chazot, a professor of pharmacology at Durham University in England.

Impossibrew, described as the “impossibly relaxing non-alcoholic beer,” contains ashwagandha and l-theanine—an amino acid found in tea, among other natural sources, that is thought to increase GABA levels in the brain.

The Kin Euphorics brand has also entered the market of non-alcoholic drinks. The brand uses adaptogens (herbs, roots, and plants like Rhodiola Rosea), nootropics (substances, like GABA, that enhance cognitive functions), and botanicals (plants and flowers) to boost mood, focus, and energy levels.

There appears to be a market for zero-alcohol drinks since alcohol consumption among young adults in both the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States has been trending downward in recent years.

The Guardian noted that alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom (UK) reached a record high in 2023, exceeding 10,000 for the first time. The United States has even more deaths to report. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, there are more than 178,000 deaths each year attributed to excessive alcohol use, making alcohol one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States, behind tobacco, poor diet, physical inactivity, and illegal drugs.

However, the tide is turning regarding alcohol consumption among younger adults. A recent UK survey found that 43 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds and 32 percent of 35-to-54-year-olds no longer drink alcohol at all. A U.S. Gallup Poll found that adults under age 35 are drinking less frequently and less likely to drink to excess. According to the poll, the rate of overdrinking among all 18-to-34-year-olds is now 13 percent, down from 21 percent in 2001-2003.

Wong presented his product on Dragons’ Den a few years ago but did not secure any investment. As it turned out, he found success without it: Impossibrew sold over a million units last year, he told The Guardian. “We aim to keep doubling every year,” he said.

Source Links:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/19/gaba-is-the-off-switch-of-the-brain-is-it-also-the-answer-to-better-sleep-sobriety-and-less-anxiety
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/gaba-uses-and-risks
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics-z/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/alcohol-related-emergencies-and-deaths-united-states
https://news.gallup.com/poll/509690/young-adults-drinking-less-prior-decades.aspx