By Marc Dellière, Medical Consultant & Trainer – Specialist in Stress, Prevention & Integrative Health
When under stress, our brain sometimes loses control. The prefrontal cortex, which is supposed to maintain control, lets go. The amygdala, the seat of emotional alertness, takes over. The result: mental overload, fragmented sleep, irritability, and loss of perspective.
But understanding what is happening in the brain allows us to gently regain control—without forcing or struggling—simply by restoring GABAergic balance.
The “hand of the brain”: when top-down regulation breaks down
Psychiatrist Daniel Siegel offers a vivid image: the hand as a metaphor for the brain.
- The wrist symbolizes the brain stem (survival, breathing, alertness).
- The thumb, folded inward, represents the limbic system (emotions, memory, amygdala).
- The fingers, closed above, embody the prefrontal cortex (reason, regulation, planning).
When everything is going well, the hand is closed: emotions are contained and modulated.
Under chronic stress, the hand opens: the cortex disengages, and emotion takes over.
Top-down control, i.e., the regulation exercised by the prefrontal cortex over deep emotional structures, weakens.
The brain then switches to bottom-up automatic mode: emotional and bodily signals take over before reason even has time to intervene.
GABA: the brain's natural brake
To keep the hand closed, the brain needs a key neurotransmitter: GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).
This is the physiological brake of the central nervous system.
It slows down nerve transmission, reduces excitability, and promotes relaxation, concentration, and sleep.
But under prolonged stress:
- GABA production decreases,
- the sensitivity of GABA-A receptors decreases,
- cortisol increases,
- and the stress loop becomes self-perpetuating.
The brain then loses its balancing brake, and mental load becomes chronic.
Restoring calm through the GABAergic pathway
Several natural levers can support the GABAergic pathway and bring the brain back into balance:
🔶 Lactium®
Derived from a casein hydrolysate (α-casozepine), it acts directly on GABA-A receptors.
→ It moderates nerve transmission without sedative effects,
→ enhances the effect of endogenous GABA,
→ reduces plasma cortisol, and improves sleep quality.
In other words, Lactium® increases GABA activity by modulating its main receptor, restoring the prefrontal cortex's ability to inhibit the amygdala.
⚡Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and Magnesium
These two ingredients act upstream by increasing the availability of GABA in the brain:
- Lemon balm inhibits the breakdown of GABA (via GABA transaminase) → prolonging its natural calming effect.
- Magnesium, an essential cofactor for GABA synthesis enzymes, promotes its production from glutamate.
Together, they increase the concentration of circulating GABA, enhancing relaxation, mental clarity, and sleep quality.
🔷Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola acts on the other side of stress: energy and adaptation.
→ It regulates cortisol secretion, limiting the exhaustion phase.
→ It stimulates ATP production in the mitochondria, providing the brain with more stable and sustainable energy.
It does not directly strengthen GABA, but stabilizes the terrain, making the body more resilient to repeated stress.
🌀Self-hypnosis and meditation: conscious regulation
Mental practices such as self-hypnosis or meditation also restore coherence between the upper and lower brain.
- In meditation, attention is focused on the breath or a neutral sensation → activation of the anterior cingulate cortex and insula → emotional regulation.
- In self-hypnosis, the subject enters a state of conscious relaxation → the body calms down, the prefrontal cortex observes without judging, alpha waves increase — EEG signature of restored GABAergic regulation.
Three steps to “close your hand”
1️⃣ Breathe: rhythm 4-6 (inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds) → activation of the vagus nerve, decrease in cortisol.
2️⃣ Regulate: Lactium® + Lemon Balm + Magnesium + Rhodiola → GABAergic and adaptive support.
3️⃣ Observe: 5 min/day self-hypnosis → reduction in DMN activity, restoration of top-down control.
This is how, step by step, we regain control of our brain.
Learn more about Lactium for stress management!
Scientific sources :
- Lim, S.E., et al. Dietary supplementation with Lactium and L-theanine improves sleep quality in adults with mild sleep disturbance. Nutrients, 2024. Disponible sur : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11215043/
- Kerure, A.S., et al. Role of Lactium™ in Psychodermatology: The CERTAIN approach. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol, 2022;15:1363–1374. Disponible sur : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9095396/
- Kim, H.J., et al. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate (Lactium®) on sleep disturbance. Nutrients, 2019;11(9):2071. Disponible sur : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6682925/
- Akbarzadeh, F., et al. Clinical efficacy and tolerability of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) – a review of human studies. Nutrients, 2024;16(17):3642. Disponible sur : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11510126/
- Awad, R., et al. Bioassay-guided fractionation of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) using an in vitro measure of GABA transaminase activity. Phytother Res, 2009;23(8):1075–1081. Disponible sur : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19165747/
- Shakeri, A., et al. The possible calming effect of subchronic supplementation of a Melissa officinalis extract. Front Pharmacol, 2023;14:1250560. Disponible sur : https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1250560/full
- Boyle, N.B., et al. A combination of green tea, Rhodiola, magnesium and B vitamins modulates brain activity and protects against effects of induced social stress. Nutrients, 2022;14(9):1852. Disponible sur : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33896388/
- Hao, Y.F., et al. Targets and underlying mechanisms related to the sedative and hypnotic activities of saponins from Rhodiola rosea. Phytomedicine, 2021;91:153702. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153702
- Pickering, G., et al. Assessing brain function in stressed healthy individuals following use of green tea, Rhodiola, magnesium and B vitamins (fMRI study). Nutrients, 2023;15(16):3570. Disponible sur : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10469327/
- Varinthra, P., et al. The role of the GABAergic system on insomnia. Brain Sci, 2024;14(2):215. Disponible sur : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11025592/