How to increase GABA levels in the brain?

[BioartMFA]

Any ideas on how to increase GABA levels in the brain to counteract anxiety without using benzodiazepines, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, GABA supplements , or Ablify?

[Paxiled]

This is a very old post, so it's unlikely anyone will read it -- I only stumbled on it by accident.  But B6 is not a stimulant, it's a nerve relaxant.  It can be overdone and cause nerve pain, so I don't recommend people over do it, and taking too much can cause an imbalance with B12 and folate, but tyrosine is the possible stimulant here as it affects neurotransmitters that can be stimulating in combination with B6 and other co-factors.  

[Crystalchimes]

I have learned that vitamin B6 and tyrosine are stimulants and cause anxiety. So whatever GABA that is produced will be counter productive or even create a worse scenario. It actually seems that many people still benefit from taking GABA despite the scientific claims. Some think its the placebo effect. But when so many seem to be having positive results from it, might be worth trying it nevertheless.
There's a great article online by Phyllis J.  Bronson,  a biochemist that has done some extensive research on GABA that might be beneficial.  I found it to be a wonderful eye opener, especially for women.      

[Paxiled]

First, antidepressants don't increase GABA in the brain.  The don't work on GABA, they work on other neurotransmitters, and they don't even increase those, they just alter how the body uses them, so Abilify and ssris, for example don't target GABA.  Benzos do target GABA, but don't necessarily increase it, again, they alter the way the body uses it mostly.  GABA supplements don't generally cross the blood/brain barrier, so they don't usually increase GABA either.  Neurontin is a drug that does increase GABA since it is GABA that bypasses the digestive system and goes straight to the brain.  To try and increase GABA's effects, you can take natural relaxants, which work similar to benzos but by being much weaker in action and by being digested normally as food don't have the same potential for the side effects or addictive properties of benzos.  Examples are passionflower, kava, valerian, hops, and a host of others.  To try to increase GABA, you take the nutrients that the body uses to make GABA.  Mostly, this would be a pseudo-amino acid called taurine and B6, assuming you don't have enough B6 in your body already.  But the body will only use this to make more GABA if it thinks it's necessary, otherwise most of it will be flushed out unused or applied to other uses.