Although there hasn’t been established a recommended daily intake for GABA, a daily dosage of 100-300 mg is good for weight loss, as GABA:
- helps burn body fat
- reduces appetite
- improves insulin sensitivity
- builds muscle mass
- improves sleep duration and quality
- naturally increases the Human Growth Hormone
What’s GABA?
GABA (Gamma aminobutyric acid) is a chemical that the human body can synthesize naturally. Also, we can get it from food or supplements.
GABA is mainly known as a powerful neurotransmitter, which helps people fight anxiety, stress, insomnia, and even headaches. Moreover, GABA supports weight loss and helps preserve a lean body year-round!
The role of Human Growth Hormone in weight loss!
First, GABA helps overweight people lose body weight, as it naturally increases the levels of the Human Growth Hormone. It controls its secretion.[1,2]
The Human Growth Hormone plays a key role in weight loss. But, obese or overweight people can’t synthesize the Human Growth Hormone as effectively. Therefore, they should get high dosages of GABA every day in order to naturally boost its synthesis![3]
Furthermore, the Human Growth Hormone may improve body composition and lipid metabolism. Also, it may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and increase bone mineral density![4]
Furthermore, high levels of Human Growth Hormone have been associated with a reduction of fat mass. Belly fat, in particular.
GABA improves sleep
Moreover, GABA has powerful stress-reducing properties. It can improve sleep quality. In fact, low levels of GABA in the body may cause low sleep quality, or other sleep disturbances, such as insomnia.[5]
According to a 2015 study, a daily dosage of GABA of 100 mg from supplements helped people with sleep problems. GABA helped people fall asleep quicker and increased non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time.[6]
According to many studies, people with poor sleep are more likely to be overweight. Sleep quality and quantity are key for weight loss.[7,8]
GABA may reduce hunger
Furthermore, GABA is good for weight loss as it regulates appetite. Elevated GABA levels in the brain suppress cravings for fattening foods. After all, we lose weight only when we’re on a caloric deficit.[9,10]
GABA increases insulin sensitivity
Additionally, GABA supports weight loss because it may increase insulin sensitivity and stimulate insulin secretion. People with insulin resistance tend to have higher postprandial blood sugar levels. This is a common cause of obesity. Most noteworthy, it can lead to type 2 diabetes.[11,12,13]
GABA builds muscle mass
Furthermore, GABA can help us maintain a lean body year-round! GABA plays a key role in the synthesis of the Human Growth Hormone, which is crucial for building muscle mass!
The Human Growth Hormone is vital for protein synthesis, increased muscle mass, and preserving lean body mass while dieting. In addition, it’s necessary for strong bones, as it’s involved in calcium metabolism.
In fact, GABA supplementation can significantly increase Human Growth Hormone levels after resistance exercise, leading to muscle growth.[1]
According to another study, athletes who performed resistance training for building muscle mass, increased their body fat-free mass, when took a daily dose of GABA of 100 mg for 3 months, as compared to athletes who took only protein. So, GABA supplementation can significantly enhance exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy![14]
Furthermore, increased muscle mass is beneficial for weight loss. It leads to a better metabolism, as it burns high amounts of energy day and night. Also, muscle mass is good for health because it increases insulin sensitivity.[15]
What dosage of GABA do you need a day for weight loss?
There hasn’t been established a recommended daily intake for GABA. However, in many studies, daily dosages of 100-300 mg of GABA had great results for weight loss.
Even GABA dosages up to 3,000 mg have been used in certain studies. You better avoid taking such extreme doses, though. Long-term use may have adverse effects.
In most cases, daily doses up to 800 mg are considered pretty safe for healthy people. For better absorption, take 3-4 smaller doses during the day.
Above all, you should consult your healthcare provider before taking GABA supplements.
Do you need high doses of GABA from supplements for weight loss?
If you want to lose fat, while preserving lean body mass, you’ll probably benefit from taking GABA supplements.
You’ll find a wide variety of GABA supplements on iHerb; the largest platform for supplements and wellness products.
For weight loss, start with small dosages of GABA of 100-300 mg a day. Gradually increase it.
You should be in a caloric deficit to lose weight. Perform resistance training to avoid losing muscle mass! You want to burn as much fat as possible while preserving lean body mass.
Always consult a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet or supplement regimen.
Eat foods rich in GABA for a leaner body
Plant-based foods are the best dietary sources of GABA. Spinach, soybeans, tempeh, peas, oats, wheat, barley, tomato, broccoli, and celery are only a few foods naturally high in GABA.
A high-fat diet impairs GABA synthesis
Last, but not least, you better avoid following a high-fat diet if you want to lose weight. A high-fat diet impairs the synthesis of GABA by the human body.[16]
In addition, a high-fat diet significantly increases the risk of obesity, as fat is a calorie-dense macronutrient. A gram of fat has 9 calories. On the other hand, a gram of protein or carbohydrate has only 4 calories.
Additionally, according to the American Heart Association, we should get only 20-35% of calories from fat. Also, we should get more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, limiting saturated fatty acids (mainly fat from animal sources) to the minimum.[17]
