Dr. Nicole Cain explains GABA A and GABA B receptors and their role in anxiety. GABA A receptors, targeted by benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium, become less responsive with continued use. Stimulating GABA B receptors through supplements like passion flower may reduce anxiety while giving GABA A receptors a break.
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In my last video, we were talking about two different types of GABA receptors. GABA A and GABA B. GABA A receptors are the receptors that receive benzodiazepine medications. These are medications like Xanax or Valium that people take when they're dealing with insomnia, spasms or severe anxiety. But when they taper down off of these benzodiazepines, they can get a lot of withdrawal symptoms. And this is caused by a discrepancy in the amount of GABA that you have and the amount of GABA that you need. And so if we keep stimulating those GABA A receptors, you're going to find that those receptors become less and less responsive. And so the hack is to stimulate GABA B receptors. This is going to give you the anxiety reducing results that you need while giving those GABA A receptors a break, while you're tapering down on your benzodiazepines. So let me show you a little bit more in a diagram about how that works. So the cells in your body actually have multiple types of receptors for gaba. We all know about GABA A receptors, which are the ones that benzodiazep pain stimulate to inhibit neurotransmission and calm anxiety. But if you want to give these receptors a break, you can actually create a GABA bridge by stimulating GABA B receptors with things like passion flower, lactobacillus. This is a receptor that can stop the release of glutamate, also giving you reduction in anxiety, reducing pain, inflammation. We talk about this a ton in my other videos, so check them out.
