Why alcohol affects our GABA levels and how this causes anxiety

Let’s talk about alcohol & anxiety - specifically how alcohol negatively effects levels of GABA in our brain 

Now I know I might lose some friends over this topic (’ll probably get some eye rolls from the zealous wine lovers out there) and that’s TOTALLY okay. 

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I loveee a clean tequila/vodka soda with lemon juice 🍋 and wine nights with the girls - zero judgment over here. I’m just naturally very curious and couldn’t help wonder why some people are more prone to anxiety the day after drinking and why others are chill as a cucumber.

Now I’ve talked about alcohol and anxiety before - specifically which supplements to take before and after drinking for hangover help + liver support (NAC, milk thistle, charcoal, vitamin c, glutamine, and glutathione to name a few), but that’s not what I want to cover here. I’m exploring the root cause between our brain and the chemical reactions causing the anxiety - not just what to do the day after for relief. 

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Of course there are always multiple variables (gene mutations like MTHFR that make it harder to detox, the food we consume, amount of sleep, environmental stressors, etc.), but did you know GABA (a neurotransmitter that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain) plays a huge role in this also? Thank you to holistic psychiatrist @ellenvora for sharing her knowledge on this topic via @gooppodcast 

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Okay let’s dive into the science:

As mentioned, GABA is the most important neurotransmitter when we’re talking about anxiety. It’s the neurotransmitter (the chemical messenger in the brain) that makes us feel okay. So, it makes sense that when we drink we “feel good” because our GABA increases, just like the pharmaceutical drug Klonopin - apparently they are like second cousins. 

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It’s a “bad” drug in that afterward, our GABA drops lower than it started throwing us off -  the body likes homeostasis so it will do everything it can to get us back to equilibrium.

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If we get too much GABA (from alcohol, coffee, certain pharmaceuticals) it starts to board up its receptors so, for example, if a leopard starts chasing us we are not going to just be chilled out and drunk. 

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The body reclaims homeostasis by boarding up the GABA receptors when it gets  this un-proportional rush of GABA. This in turn depletes our GABA the next day creating the “Sunday scary” anxiety ridden feeling some of us get when we drink too much. 

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How to build up your GABA naturally:

So what can you do to build up your GABA the old fashioned, natural way? Deep belly breathing exercises, yoga, not being burned out and over stretched/ stressed, sleeping well, eating nutrient dense foods that stabilize your blood sugar (another reason for anxiety is a blood sugar roller coaster we get from the standard American diet). THESE are the right to achieve healthy levels of GABA in your body.

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When we get a high artificially via alcohol and Klonopin our bodies need even more because we drop it down further than what we started with. Guess who benefits? The spirits industry & pharmaceutical companies. Yep! We make great customers, but pretty anxious people. 

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Did anyone else find this interesting?! Do you get anxious after drinking? Comment below!