Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that occurs naturally in the central nervous system and is important for inhibiting neural activity and maintaining a balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain.

GABA supplementation is considered to have therapeutic benefits in treating neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, and cognitive decline. It provides an overview of the role played by GABA in neurological functioning, mood modulation, sleep regulation, and performance on cognitive skills with particular stressors, such as anxiety, age, and, consequently, anxiety-induced stress and age-associated changes.

Supplemental GABA may alleviate anxious behavior, may enhance NREM sleep quality in animal models and even preserve or rescue cognitive skills from being further compromised under these conditions. Although promising results have been obtained, there are still major limitations in animal models, such as variability in dosage, bioavailability concerns, and generalizability to humans.

The review calls for standardized clinical trials, bioavailability studies, and long-term safety research to assess the full potential of GABA supplementation. The major findings show that GABA may be useful in a nonpharmacological treatment of conditions such as anxiety and cognitive decline, though more research is required to enable the assertion in human populations.

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