Many people trying to increase Gaba and lower glutamate falsely believe they should avoid meat or eggs because of their glutamate level. While it is true there is glutamic acid in meat and eggs which converts to glutamate, meat and eggs are not a problem for the following reasons.
Glutamate is only a problem when in excess, we need glutamate for proper brain function. So, we don’t want to get rid of it completely.
Meat and eggs have all the other essential amino acids in proper balance, so they balance out the glutamate. The glutamate is not an issue in meat or eggs because of the presence of the other amino acids.
Glutamate is an issue when it is at a concentrated level in a food source or when it is isolated from the other amino acids. For example, sauerkraut is high glutamate and does not have the other aminos available for balance, and bone broth is a concentrated level of glutamate. So that’s why those foods are problematic, but meat or eggs are not.
Glutamate may be bound or free and it is typically the free form that contributes to the issue of excess glutamates. Bound glutamate refers to glutamate that is “bound” to the protein source in its whole and unmodified state, with all the other amino acids. When it is found in this state, then it does not contribute to elevating glutamate levels too high.
Free glutamate, on the other hand, is glutamate that has been separated (or freed) from the other amino acids and becomes more concentrated, thus, contributing to spikes in the glutamate level in the body when consumed.
There are a variety of ways that glutamate may become (free), but most commonly it is the result of commercial processing like fermentation, pasteurization, high heat extraction, lysing, and acid hydrolysis. Although free glutamate may occur naturally in some foods.
However, slow cooking, braising, stewing, grilling, BBQing, smoking, Wok cooking, and high-heat skillet cooking all increase glutamate levels. So, if you prepare your meat with any of these methods, then glutamate in meat will be high. So, these methods of cooking should be avoided.
So, meat and eggs do not elevate glutamate and lower Gaba. As a matter of fact, animal protein is the most important food to eat when we are trying to balance Gaba and glutamate or any other neurotransmitter. It should be the most abundant component of the diet.
It is animal protein (meat) that provides the brain with the nutrients it needs to produce and transmit neurotransmitters properly. And it is animal protein that will keep blood sugar levels stable, which is critical for maintaining adequate levels of Gaba and other neurotransmitters.
And since Gaba and glutamate play a vital role in anxiety, stress, sugar and carb cravings, compulsive overeating, sleep, mood, adrenal fatigue, and much more, that means meat is highly beneficial for these conditions and other condition associated with these neurotransmitters.
If you would like to learn more about which foods will help increase Gaba and lower glutamate, you can find everything you need to know in my instantly downloadable eBook, How to Balance Gaba and Glutamate with Diet. Finally learn the correct way to increase Gaba levels and lower glutamate, so you can save thousands of dollars, become more of who you were meant to be, and live life more fully.
