**Requirements:** 1. Maintain the original format and structure. 2. The translation should be accurate, fluent, and natural. 3. Maintain professionalism and consistency. 4. Only return the translation result; do not add any explanations. **Original Text:** Have you ever experienced an accelerated heartbeat and a chaotic mind under stress? Or been awakened in the middle of the night by anxiety, unable to fall asleep? Behind these emotional storms may lie a silent regulator—GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). As the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, it acts like a conductor of a symphony, using invisible “chemical signals” to calm the agitation of neurons and “mute” your emotions. GABA: the brain’s natural tranquilizer. When neurons race uncontrollably, GABA is the crucial reinhold. It binds to GABA receptors on the neuron surface, opening chloride ion channels, allowing negatively charged chloride ions to flow into the cell, thereby inhibiting neuronal firing and reducing neural excitability. This “braking effect” acts directly on the emotional center: calming anxiety (by suppressing overactive amygdalas and blocking the transmission of anxiety signals); combating depression (research from Yale University found that GABA levels are significantly lower in people with depression, and they increase as symptoms improve after treatment); and stabilizing mood swings (irritability during menstruation and uncontrolled anger during menopause are both related to fluctuations in GABA levels). **Key Discoveries:** The high incidence of anxiety among adolescent girls may be due to an imbalance between GABA and glutamate in the prefrontal cortex—excessive “neural braking” can suppress rational thinking. When GABA is insufficient, a chain reaction of emotional collapse can occur. As we age, the body’s ability to produce GABA gradually declines. Once this gap appears, the body sends multiple warnings: sleep problems (insomnia patients have 30% lower GABA levels than healthy individuals, leading to less deep sleep); a vicious cycle of stress (chronic stress inhibits GABA production, and low GABA weakens stress resistance); and unexplained physical pains (muscle tension, frequent headaches, as GABA also regulates pain signal transmission). **Surprising Facts:** Your gut microbiota might be “stealing” GABA! Scientists have identified a gut bacterium called KLE1738 that feeds on GABA. In patients with depression, the bacteria that produce GABA are reduced, while those that consume it are increased, which may exacerbate emotional imbalance. **Scientific Ways to Increase GABA Levels:** - **From Diet to Lifestyle:** - **Nutritional Supplements:** Vitamin B6 and magnesium (activate glutamate decarboxylase, promoting the conversion of glutamate to GABA; found in animal livers and pumpkin seeds). - **L-Theanine:** A component of green tea that can cross the blood-brain barrier to increase GABA levels; combined with GABA, it can extend the deep sleep time of mice by 87%. - **Fermented Foods:** Lactobacilli in pickles and yogurt produce GABA directly. - **Gut Health:** Probiotics (such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) can increase gut GABA production and send calming signals to the brain through the “gut-brain axis.” - **Lifestyle Changes:** - **High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):** 10 minutes of HIIT can increase brain GABA concentration. - **Yoga and Meditation:** Regulate breathing rhythms to enhance GABA neuron activity. - **Low-Carb Diet:** Ketones promote the conversion of glutamate to GABA, reducing the toxicity of neural excitability. **Controversies:** There is still uncertainty about whether oral GABA supplements can cross the blood-brain barrier. It’s safer to choose well-studied active ingredients and avoid taking them with blood pressure medications. **The Future of Emotional Health:** Scientists are exploring deeper ways to regulate the GABA system: - **Receptor-Targeted Drugs:** New anti-anxiety medications focus on GABA-A receptor subtypes, reducing the risk of addiction associated with traditional benzodiazepines. - **Microbiota Transplantation Therapy:** Adjusting the ratio of “GABA-producing bacteria” to improve depression. - **Gene Editing Technology:** In animal experiments, regulating the expression of GAD enzyme genes to increase GABA production from the source. The delicate balance of GABA is like an invisible rudder in the ocean of emotions. It doesn’t create happiness, but it removes obstacles to it; it doesn’t directly bring peace, but it paves the way for it. When we learn to nourish this “neural tuner” through diet, exercise, and gut health, we hold the biological key to combating emotional storms. True emotional freedom begins with a deep understanding of the brain’s chemical language. If you can’t sleep tonight, perhaps brew a cup of green tea and practice deep breathing for ten minutes. Maybe, in some corner of a neural synapse, GABA is quietly saying, “Relax; I’m here to help.”