GABA Labs is building the scientific foundation for a new generation of functional alternatives to alcohol. Our research spans neuroscience, pharmacology, botanical chemistry, the brain-gut-microbiome axis and human neurophysiology. We work with universities and specialist research teams to test mechanisms, understand ingredients and develop the evidence needed to move functional social drinks from scientific idea to scalable technology. Some projects are ongoing. Others are published and available to read today.
Ongoing Research
University of Exeter: From Relaxation to Cognition: Mapping the Neurophysiology of GABAergic Modulation
Researchers at the University of Exeter are using EEG to investigate brain activity after participants consume Sentia and compare it with activity after an alcoholic drink.
The work combines brainwave recording with self-reported experience, looking for measurable patterns across alpha, beta and gamma activity and asking how Sentia and alcohol differ. The wider collaboration also explores computational approaches to GABAergic neurophysiology. Early findings remain exploratory and should not yet be treated as peer-reviewed evidence of a finished-product effect.
This project is accepting applications for PhD’s, you can find out more and apply here
University of Portsmouth: Comparative effects of alcohol and GABA mimetics on the brain-gut-microbiota (BGM) function
This four-year PhD programme investigates how GABA links the brain, gastrointestinal system and gut microbiome, and how botanical GABA-related compounds compare with alcohol across this network.
The project combines gene-expression studies, protein mapping, electrophysiology and functional gut testing. The aim is to understand GABA receptor pathways across the brain-gut-microbiota axis and how potential alcohol alternatives interact with them.
You can view the research project here
King’s College London: analytical chemistry of Sentia’s botanicals
A collaboration with the Department of Chemistry at King’s College London is examining the chemistry of botanical ingredients used in Sentia.
Researchers are separating and identifying compounds found in ingredients including magnolia bark, passionflower and damiana, with particular interest in chemistry relevant to GABA receptor activity. The work is designed to identify compounds for closer investigation and deepen GABA Labs’ understanding of the functional chemistry within its botanical ingredient platforms.
Read about the collaboration:
King’s College London – Sentia botanical chemistry research
Published Research
Functional Alternatives to Alcohol
Published in Nutrients in 2022, this review sets out the scientific rationale behind functional alternatives to alcohol.
It examines how alcohol produces both desirable and harmful effects, with particular focus on the GABA system. The paper asks whether more selective botanical or synthetic compounds could reproduce some of alcohol’s pro-social effects without its broader pharmacology, and discusses the scientific and regulatory challenges involved in taking functional alternatives from laboratory research into drinks.
Reducing the harms of alcohol: nutritional interventions and functional alcohol alternatives
Published in the International Review of Neurobiology in 2024, this paper examines two complementary approaches to reducing alcohol-related harm: nutritional interventions and functional alternatives.
The authors review the health burden associated with alcohol, the limitations of relying on abstinence alone, and the potential role of functional drinks as an additional choice for consumers. It places the development of alcohol alternatives within a broader scientific and public-health context.
From bugs to brain: unravelling the GABA signalling networks in the brain-gut-microbiome axis
This review explores GABA far beyond its familiar role as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
It examines GABA signalling across the gut, microbiome, nervous system and immune system, and asks how these interconnected pathways contribute to physiological regulation. The paper provides important scientific context for GABA Labs’ ongoing research into the brain-gut-microbiome axis and highlights the complexity of translating mechanistic findings into real-world interventions.