As a like-minded community with a thirst for knowledge, we love receiving your questions about SENTIA Spirits and how GABA works, so we’ve decided to have our team of innovators and scientists, led by Professor David Nutt, pick three of our most asked questions each week, and share their answer for you every Sunday.

Everything from the science behind how SENTIA spirits enhances socialising, supports your wellbeing and how its powerful blend of botanical ingredients work; through to the philosophy and vision driving GABA labs, where you can purchase and serving suggestions will be covered.

So, keep those questions coming in, and let us quench your thirst for knowledge….

Submit any questions to cs@sentiaspirits.com 

1. What is GABA?

Professor David Nutt says: “GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a naturally occurring stress response that is active in all plants and animals. In humans, GABA is one of the neurotransmitters that plays a key role in relaxation and socialising is GABA. As an inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA helps to calm the brain and reduce anxiety.

Consuming high volumes of alcohol leads to all sorts of unpleasant effects but more moderate volumes of alcohol, around one or two units, raise our body’s GABA activity, which is understood to be the reason alcohol is so widely enjoyed. When GABA levels are low, the brain can become overactive, leading to feelings of stress and anxiety.

GABA has been around for billions of years, and our bodies produces it naturally all the time, modulating our levels of relaxation and sense of harmony.”

2. How does the 'Gaba Blend’ work?

The discovery that GABA is at the heart of the ‘good’ alcohol experience led us to develop the world-first botanical blend which activates GABA in the brain. We believe this will be a game-changer for adult social drinking because it means safer, healthier alcohol alternatives exist which still give drinkers what they want from alcohol – a sense of connection, relaxation, and harmony – but without the alcohol and all its attendant problems.

Our unique proprietary blends of botanical ingredients come together in a way that activates GABA in the brain, so drinkers will experience some of the lighter effects associated with drinking a moderate amount of alcohol (lightness, relaxation, connection and harmony), but without any of the alcohol itself.

3.How long does it take for SENTIA to work and how long to the effects last?

Professor David Nutt says: 'As with drinking alcohol, how quickly the effects can be experienced and how long they tend to last depend on several variables. Firstly, your individual metabolism and physiology can influence how quickly SENTIA takes effect. Additionally, factors such as your recent food intake, quality of sleep, and even your recent alcohol consumption patterns can also impact the SENTIA drinking experience.

Generally, you may start to feel the effects of SENTIA within 15-30 minutes after consumption, although this can vary. Some individuals may experience a quicker onset, while others may take a bit longer.

As for the duration, the effects of SENTIA are designed to provide a pleasurable and balanced experience. On average, the effects can last for a few hours, allowing you to enjoy the moment without the potential negative consequences associated with traditional alcohol consumption.

We designed SENTIA to be enjoyable and also safer and healthier to traditional alcoholic beverages, promoting a balanced and mindful approach to consumption. As a result, the effects are USUALLY not as intense as those OF alcohol. Instead, SENTIA offers a subtler experience, allowing you to savour connections, and enhance socialising without compromising your wellbeing.

We encourage social drinkers to listen to their bodies and consume SENTIA in moderation. Take the time to explore your own unique response to the product, being mindful of the factors mentioned above that can influence the effects.

It is important to remember that SENTIA simply allows us to access the GABA that is already in us. Our work on GABAergic ingredients in the food chain has led us to research into some very exciting possibilities that take us much further to new ways to enhance socialising, forge connections and encourage healthier relationships to alcohol or social drinking. More on this in a future newsletter!