Methylene Blue

If you find yourself wandering around health websites or watching videos on the latest wonder nutrient, you may have encountered methylene blue. I had run across it about a dozen times before I decided to try some for myself. But it was only yesterday that I came across the dosing protocol for using it correctly. This morning I tried my first proper dose – 5mg.  Although I had put a few drops into my morning smoothie several times, I was probably only getting 1 mg at a time. This was not enough to notice anything. I was hesitant to take more without knowing what an appropriate dose was. Plus there was the blue tongue issue.

Although this is being touted as a new wonder drug, in reality, this stuff has been around since the late 1800s. It was created as a blue textile dye by a German chemist in 1876. It was not long before medical uses for this dye were being discovered. It was quickly found to be a great antibacterial agent and was found to work well as a treatment for malaria. By 1933 it was found to be an antidote for cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning. Back when I was a kid, methylene blue was painted in the mouths of babies who developed thrush to kill the candida fungal infection. As you might guess from this use, methylene blue is pretty safe to use for most people. I will mention exceptions later.

My first exposure to methylene blue was while I was in high school. We used the blue dye to stain the cell samples we were looking at with a microscope. It selectively stains the nucleus of the cells making them easy to see. But an annoying concern when using it was how much it would stain everything and anything it got on. If it gets on your clothes it will not wash out. That is part of why it made such a great textile dye. If you get a drop on a counter or the floor, well, tough luck. You are stuck with it. Memories of this issue made me cautious about using methylene blue at home. Guess what else will be stained blue when you drink it? If you guessed your tongue and lips, you would be right. This is one of the cute comments biohackers using methylene blue all talk about, the blue tongues. It does not stop there. Back in WW2, soldiers used to complain about how it would turn their urine blue. That has not changed.

One of the creative uses for methylene blue is to use this traveling stain to look for leaks in our inner plumbing. Post-surgery, doctors can dump some methylene blue solution through a gastric bypass or kidney /bladder surgery to make sure everything is closed up nicely – no leaks. It is also used for the treatment of shock and anaphylaxis in patients. The list of things this stuff treats just keeps going on and on.

Okay, so why is this stuff suddenly the new wonder drug? Remember how I said that it was an antidote for cyanide poisoning? The excitement lies in how it does its magic for this. Cyanide blocks the formation of cellular energy in the mitochondria of the cells. Methylene blue unblocks the energy pathway and allows it to function normally again. This is a fundamental bottom-level cause of so many different types of problems in the body. Our modern lifestyle with the consumption of too many omega-6 oils and too much sugar is clogging up and breaking down our energy production pathways in the mitochondria of our cells. So why are people excited about this stuff? They are excited because chronic degenerative conditions caused by the lack of energy to make our cells work properly are being overcome.

One of the most exciting conditions methylene blue is being used for is dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are finding that it bolsters memory, attention, and performance, while also inhibiting the formation of the amyloid plaques and other harmful proteins in the brain. While it can’t undo existing damage to the brain, it does appear to slow down or stop the progression of brain degeneration. There is lots of talk about using methylene blue for mood elevation, pain reduction, and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as indications that it has anti-aging effects as well. These areas still need a lot of research to prove these observations.

This is probably a good place to mention contra-indications for the use of methylene blue. Do not use methylene blue if you are taking MAO inhibitors or SSRI medications (like Prozac) for mood. The combination can potentially create serotonin syndrome which is bad and may kill you. Also if you have a genetic disease called G6PD deficiency then this will interact with methylene blue and cause your red blood cells to self-destruct. Since methylene blue is metabolized by the liver and excreted by the kidneys, any problems with these organs would also be a contra-indication for using methylene blue. Last, methylene blue is sometimes used to lower high blood pressure, so if you have low blood pressure then this might not be a good fit for you.

My interest in methylene blue began with research I was doing on mitochondrial function. I was looking for ways to increase my body’s production of cellular energy. Since I have turned 70, I am noticing that things just are not healing as quickly as they used to. My stamina is less and the length of my concentration span is shorter. These are all signs of lower cellular energy. I tried huge doses of niacin for a couple of months as that was supposed to help, but all I got was the nasty niacin flush every day. Now I am looking at giving myself a blue tongue a couple times a day instead. Unfortunately, this world of biohacking (a cool term for experimenting on yourself) is all trial and error. There are no big studies with thousands of people to give you a rough idea of what to expect. Since this stuff has been around forever there are no big profits for any pharmaceutical company to make as this stuff is relatively cheap. They are the ones that pay for such studies, so that is not going to happen anytime soon.

I have been looking around for a capsule form of methylene blue so that I could avoid the blue tongue look at work. The problem is that in capsule form this is still prescribed as a medication, so you need a prescription to get it. It is also important to only use pharmaceutical-grade methylene blue, as industrial grades contain a lot of toxic contaminants. You can find powdered methylene blue online, but it is not the good human grade you would want to put into a capsule. Plus, this stuff is super messy. It gets into everything and stains get everywhere. However, I am excited because this morning I found a combination of methylene blue with vitamin C as a tablet that will hopefully solve my conundrum. It is a bit expensive, but if it works to do what I hope it does, it will be worth it. Here is a link to a page on my website where you can access it.

Once you know how methylene blue works, then you can support the process with other nutrients that help the mitochondria in producing energy. Coenzyme Q10 and PQQ both directly support mitochondrial function. Acetyl-L-carnitine helps move fatty acids into the mitochondria to be burned. Alpha Lipoic acid also helps with energy production. Then of course is the basic B vitamins, which are necessary for energy production. On the flip side, you want to avoid fried foods and prepared foods full of vegetable oils and instead boost up the intake of oils like avocado and olive. All the dietary recommendations that are for supporting metabolic health are really about supporting good mitochondrial function. We want our energy factories to work well so our cells have the energy to repair and renew themselves.

Having the energy to live the life you desire is basic to making life worthwhile. If you are always tired and sick then what is the point of living a long time? Big Pharma is looking for the magic anti-aging pill for which they will charge a fortune because they know how important quality of life is to us. But what if we already have all we need to achieve the life we want without having to give up our life earnings to do it? You know they want it all if they can get it. That is not my style. I like striking out on my own and exploring my own personal answers. How about you?

Take care,

David