The Difference Between PharmaGABA and Synthetic GABA
Your mental health is just as important for your overall well-being as your physical health, especially today with roughly 7/10 people dealing with at least one symptom of mental illness.
Therefore, it’s crucial to adopt practices to support your mind, like you do your body, including things like meditation, exercise, sleep, therapy, spending time with community, and more.
And like someone might take creatine or protein to support their physical wellness, there are actually supplements you can take to support your mental wellness too.
One of our favorites is a specific type of GABA called “PharmaGABA.”
What is GABA?
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an amino acid that our body produces naturally and is critical for the functioning of our central nervous system. It helps us manage feelings of stress, anxiety, and fear.
When your body's GABA levels are low, it becomes challenging for your body to relax and calm down. As a result, people experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. Therefore, it's vital that your body produces enough GABA to help you fight different psychological issues.
Like melatonin, though, GABA can also be found in nature and synthesized in a lab for you to take in supplement form. Today, there are two types of GABA: synthetic GABA and PharmaGABA.
How is Synthetic GABA Produced?
Synthetic GABA is produced in a lab with toxic substances including succinimide, piperylurethan, fuming nitric acid, N-(β-bromoethyl) phthalimide, sodiomalonic ester, γ-chlorobutyronitrile, and potassium phthalimide. These chemicals are actually prohibited in food products in many countries.
What is PharmaGABA?
PharmaGABA is the only natural form of GABA available today. It’s produced through a fermentation process using Lactobacillus bacteria, the probiotic in kimchi. The bacteria are fed nutrients to produce a high level of GABA that can be extracted through a filtration process. This process mimics your body's GABA production method, providing high-quality GABA as a result.
Extracting PharmaGABA from the probiotic bacteria in kimchi is like extracting melatonin from walnuts.
How are Synthetic GABA and PharmaGABA Different?
There are several critical differences between synthetic GABA and PharmaGABA aside from the process required to make them.
Health Benefits
PharmaGABA can produce calm but alert feelings as shown by changes in brain wave patterns, reduced heart rate, and reducing your body’s stress hormones.
Studies have also found that PharmaGABA is absorbed more easily and quickly, producing a calming effect within 5 to 30 minutes of ingestion.
In a head-to-head double-blind study with PharmaGABA and synthetic GABA, the synthetic GABA was not able to produce these same effects. Many researchers believe this is because synthetic GABA cannot pass your body’s blood-brain barrier and bind to GABA receptors.
PharmaGABA’s Effects on Stress
One study in Japan took a group of participants with a fear of heights and separated them into two groups: PharmaGABA and placebo. The researchers measured each participant’s cortisol levels before providing them with either PharmaGABA or a placebo and making them cross a suspension bridge that crossed a 150-foot canyon.
When the participants were halfway across the bridge, researchers measured their cortisol levels again to determine changes in their baseline stress levels. The group that took PharmaGABA experienced a 20% decrease in stress levels while the group that took placebo had a 20% increase in stress levels: a whopping 40% difference.
The researchers concluded that although the PharmaGABA group was under a significant amount of stress, their minds responded as though they were completely relaxed.
Side Effects
Since synthetic GABA contains potentially harmful chemicals, the user might experience some side effects like vomiting, nausea, and headaches. It can also lead to chronic health conditions if you consume it for a longer time and in larger doses.
On the other hand, PharmaGABA is completely safe and can be very effective without side effects at recommended dosages.
How Much PharmaGABA Should I take?
If you have any health conditions you should talk to your doctor before taking PharmaGABA. The recommended dose of PharmaGABA depends on a variety of factors like gender, age, and environmental conditions. Generally, people consume 100 to 200 mg of PharmaGABA up to three times a day. You should avoid taking more than 3,000 mg in a day.
We use 100mg of PharmaGABA in our cacao lattes, matcha lattes and turmeric latte mixes as that is the dose proven effective in a clinical study on stress and anxiety.
Bottom Line
GABA is produced naturally by your brain, but when your GABA levels are low and you’re feeling stress, anxious or fearful, you can supplement with PharmaGABA to change that.
Our superfood lattes are an effortless way to take PharmaGABA and fit seamlessly into your morning routine.
