From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rafal@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Tue May 06 2003 - 17:36:26 MDT
gts wrote:
> Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
>
>> The idea of selective GABA enhancement is interesting,
>> however. Glutamate antagonists do have some neuroprotective
>> effects, so it's conceivable that pushing the GABA/glutamate
>> balance towards GABA with some selective GABA agonists could
>> help. Definitely worth investigating.
>
> I addressed this topic indirectly in one of the diet threads a few
> weeks ago. I had remarked that ketogenic (Atkins-style) diets starve
> the brain of its much loved glucose. Anders remarked that glucose is
> helpful for memory and wondered about the effects of ketones on brain
> function. I then posted an abstract of a study showing that ketones
> up-regulate GABA and downregulate aspartate. I mentioned that GABA
> tends to dull the mind, but that on the upside, aspartate is an NMDA
> receptor agonist (in essentially the same way as is glutamate), so if
> upregulation of GABA from ketones leads to downregulation of
> aspartate then it could have neuroprotective properties.
>
> As the brain ages, glial cells become less efficient in protecting
> neurons from injury from excitatory amino acids like glutamate and
> aspartate. Back in '99 I wrote a fairly in-depth article about this
> subject as it pertains to the dubious practice of ingesting daily
> megadoses of glutamate's immediate precursor glutamine. The article
> stirred up quite a controversy, and even set me at heated public odds
> with LEF, which sells glutamine as a life-extension supplement and
> whose primary spokesman at the time was a proponent of megadoses of
> glutamine for purposes of stimulating release of growth hormone from
> the pituitary. That article of mine is still posted at
> www.optexinc.com/glutaminerisks.htm. I would be interested in your
> opinions, Rafal.
>
> -gts
### I feel I am not competent enough to comment on glutamine
supplementation. I am not aware of any studies directly correlating this
practice with either beneficial or deleterious effects, and the indirect
data are too uncertain.
Personally I neither supplement with glutamate, nor do I go out of my way to
avoid a bit of MSG in the stir-fry.
Rafal
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