> GABA doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, so the fact that bacteria in the gut release GABA won't have any effect on the brain.
Yet tons of people take it as a supplement regardless. Maybe it's just placebo?
I feel like we should hold out judgement on this. I wouldn't be surprised if GABA somehow affected us in other ways even if it doesn't get into the brain. But yes, as far as we currently know, it shouldn't affect our mental performance.
Any pill you take to improve your performance or health will have some sort of placebo effect. Whether it has any actual effect over and above placebo requires a double-blind RCT. As far as I'm aware, there is no evidence that it has any effect over placebo, and the science says it shouldn't.
Yet tons of people take it as a supplement regardless. Maybe it's just placebo?
I feel like we should hold out judgement on this. I wouldn't be surprised if GABA somehow affected us in other ways even if it doesn't get into the brain. But yes, as far as we currently know, it shouldn't affect our mental performance.