I assumed it was time for an replace for methylene blue. I’ve included the earlier interview I did with Dr. Francisco Gonzalez-Lima two years in the past. My views on using this drug have modified since that point and I assumed I might like to offer you an replace as to my present ideas on this fascinating molecule.
Methylene blue is the precursor molecule for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. It’s a fascinating compound with a variety of well being advantages. Methylene blue is a dye first created in 1876. Initially used within the textile business, it later discovered purposes in medication because of its antimicrobial properties.
Methylene blue stays an necessary a part of the technique’s utilized in hospitals worldwide because of its distinctive capability to counteract mitochondrial metabolic poisons. These are usually molecules that disrupt the move of electrons within the complexes of the electron transport chain of the mitochondria.
In circumstances of carbon monoxide or cyanide poisoning, as an example, medical professionals administer methylene blue intravenously as a main remedy. Right now, it is gaining additional consideration within the pure well being neighborhood for its capability to advertise wholesome pores and skin, sluggish skeletal ageing, help mind well being and extra.
Key Advantages of Methylene Blue
Methylene blue is a multifaceted compound with various makes use of, however its most notable influence is on how cells produce power. It primarily works by interacting with the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which performs a significant position in mobile power era.
Throughout regular mobile respiration, electrons from the meals we eat are handed via a sequence of protein complexes throughout the mitochondria. This course of, known as the electron transport chain, in the end ends in the manufacturing of ATP, the power forex of cells. On this chain, oxygen acts as the ultimate electron acceptor.
What makes methylene blue particular is its capability to just accept electrons and switch them on to oxygen, successfully making a shortcut within the typical electron transport chain. This different pathway can increase power manufacturing, particularly in conditions the place regular mobile processes are compromised or not working at full effectivity.
By enabling more practical electron switch and power era, methylene blue has the potential to boost varied facets of how cells perform and total well being. This capability to work together with and optimize mobile power processes is what makes methylene blue a subject of curiosity in each scientific research and potential medical purposes.
Improved Mitochondrial Operate
One of the crucial thrilling facets of methylene blue is its potential to enhance mitochondrial effectivity and enhance mobile power. This enchancment in mobile power manufacturing has wide-ranging advantages all through your physique. Whether or not it is therapeutic, neurotransmitter manufacturing or another mobile perform, optimized mitochondria assist your physique carry out at its greatest.
Even in wholesome people, low doses can enhance the physique’s power manufacturing methods. It enhances oxygen use, mitochondrial perform and ATP era past regular ranges, primarily fine-tuning all the metabolic course of. This implies it serves as each a efficiency booster for mobile power manufacturing and a treatment for metabolic disruptions.
Moreover, methylene blue’s influence on mitochondrial respiration is linked to broader optimistic results. It stimulates your physique to extend its oxygen-processing capabilities total. Moreover, it influences blood move dynamics, resulting in improved blood provide to varied tissues. These mixed results contribute to its potential as a metabolic optimizer.
Spectacular Cognitive Help, Together with In opposition to Alzheimer’s Illness
Methylene blue has a specific affinity for neurological tissue and has been investigated for varied psychiatric problems, together with manic states and despair. Crawford states, “It does have an affect on the central nervous system … A few of this isn’t extraordinarily effectively outlined. It does appear to have a optimistic influence on dopamine and dopamine methods. It positively influences serotonin and your serotonergic methods.”1
In a single research, methylene blue was given to sufferers with manic despair, also called bipolar dysfunction, who didn’t reply to standard remedy. Fourteen of them confirmed “particular enchancment” consequently.2 In a separate three-week trial, methylene blue led to considerably higher enchancment than placebo in folks with extreme depressive sickness.3
Paradoxically, you’ll have heard of methylene blue as a fish tank remedy, however this humble compound is now on the forefront of Alzheimer’s analysis as effectively. A research revealed {that a} stabilized type of methylene blue, known as hydromethylthionine (LMTM), slows cognitive decline and mind atrophy in delicate to average Alzheimer’s illness sufferers.4
Not like present remedies that solely quickly masks signs, LMTM inhibits the aggregation of tau proteins within the mind. Even at low doses, LMTM demonstrates vital advantages. The research discovered that sufferers with plasma concentrations as little as 0.4 to 0.8 ng/ml confirmed enhancements in cognitive perform and diminished mind shrinkage. Based on research creator Claude Wischik of Aberdeen College:5
“Along with the discount in mind atrophy, we have been shocked to see the massive cognitive results of remedy within the affected person group with the upper blood ranges of hydromethylthionine on the 8 mg each day dose.
Based on scores from the ADAS-cog scale, the impact was round 7.5 factors, or 3 times that seen from present routine Alzheimer’s remedies, and can be equal to an 85% discount in cognitive decline over 65 weeks.”
The researchers found that LMTM’s results plateau at larger concentrations, displaying that there is no want for extreme dosing to attain optimum outcomes. Importantly, methylene blue is a hormetic drug, which implies that low doses have the alternative impact as excessive doses.
For instance, it’s primarily utilized in emergency rooms on the higher dosage restrict (3 milligrams to 4 mg per kilo of body weight) for methemoglobinemia,6 which is when a metabolic poison interferes with the transport of oxygen in hemoglobin, by the iron in hemoglobin being oxidized to +3 somewhat than its regular diminished +2 state.
Nonetheless, for those who take too excessive a dose, you produce methemoglobinemia. At dosages in between, there’s no impact. Likewise, whereas low dosages have an antioxidant impact, excessive doses are pro-oxidative and might kill micro organism and tumor cells.
Shield Liver Well being
Methylene blue exhibits promise to be a useful in treating fatty liver circumstances, providing hope for these battling steatosis (fatty liver illness) and steatohepatitis, a complicated type of fatty liver illness. On the coronary heart of methylene blue’s liver-protective results is its capability to activate SIRT1, a protein sometimes called a “longevity gene.”7
SIRT1 performs an important position in sustaining power stability in your physique, much like the results of calorie restriction. By growing SIRT1 ranges, methylene blue units off a cascade of useful results. It enhances mitochondrial perform, resulting in improved power manufacturing and utilization. This activation mimics the advantages of calorie restriction with out the necessity for drastic dietary modifications, providing a extra accessible technique to help your liver well being and total wellbeing.
One of the crucial promising facets of methylene blue’s motion is its capability to fight extreme fats accumulation within the liver. The research confirmed that methylene blue prompts AMPK, an enzyme that acts as a metabolic grasp swap.8 This activation results in elevated fats burning and decreased fats manufacturing within the liver.
Moreover, methylene blue was discovered to boost the exercise of CPT-1 and PPARα, two key gamers in fats metabolism. These results collectively work to scale back the buildup of dangerous fat in your liver cells, reversing or stopping fatty liver illness.
Past its fat-reducing capabilities, methylene blue helps shield your liver from the results of a high-fat food regimen. In mice fed a high-fat food regimen for eight weeks, remedy with methylene blue considerably diminished liver fats accumulation and irritation.9 That is notably thrilling as a result of it means that methylene blue is efficient not simply in stopping liver injury, but additionally in treating current circumstances.
By activating SIRT1 and selling mitochondrial well being, methylene blue helps your liver cells turn out to be extra resilient to emphasize and higher geared up to deal with the challenges of contemporary diets excessive in processed meals and unhealthy fat.10
Methylene Blue Enhances Estrogen Metabolism: A Key to Hormonal Stability
Along with its results on fats metabolism, methylene blue performs an necessary position in your liver’s capability to course of estrogen. This perform is significant for sustaining hormonal stability, which impacts quite a few facets of your well being. Analysis courting again to early research has proven that B nutritional vitamins, notably B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin), are important on your liver’s capability to deactivate and metabolize estrogen.11
Curiously, different research have discovered that this course of will be additional enhanced by including niacinamide (a type of vitamin B3) and methylene blue to the combination.12,13 Methylene blue’s position on this course of is especially fascinating. Underneath regular circumstances, your liver wants oxygen to interrupt down estrogen successfully. Nonetheless, in conditions the place oxygen may be restricted, methylene blue steps in as a strong ally.
It acts instead electron acceptor, primarily mimicking the position of oxygen within the estrogen breakdown course of. Which means even in less-than-ideal circumstances, methylene blue helps your liver proceed its essential job of managing estrogen ranges.14
Furthermore, the mix of methylene blue with niacinamide is especially efficient. Niacinamide helps keep ranges of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), an important molecule for a lot of mobile processes, together with estrogen metabolism. By preserving NAD+ ranges, niacinamide ensures that your liver has the assets it must course of estrogen effectively.15
When mixed with methylene blue’s capability to perform in low-oxygen environments, this creates a strong duo for supporting your liver’s hormone-balancing features. This multi-faceted strategy to liver well being — addressing fats metabolism, irritation and hormone stability — underscores methylene blue as a flexible software in your well being arsenal.
By supporting these essential liver features, methylene blue affords a complete strategy to sustaining liver well being and, by extension, your total wellbeing.
A Highly effective Anti-Inflammatory Agent
Methylene blue additionally affords vital advantages in combating irritation. Analysis uncovered its potential to inhibit inflammasomes — protein complexes in your immune system that set off inflammatory responses.16
The research discovered that methylene blue can block a number of kinds of inflammasomes, together with NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2. This broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory motion units methylene blue other than many different remedies that solely goal particular inflammatory pathways. Moreover, methylene blue was proven to scale back the manufacturing of proinflammatory molecules like IL-1β and IL-18.
These findings recommend that methylene blue may very well be useful in managing varied inflammatory circumstances. The compound additionally demonstrated a capability to enhance mitochondrial perform and scale back oxidative stress, that are key elements in lots of power illnesses. By addressing irritation at a number of ranges, methylene blue affords a promising strategy to supporting your total well being and stopping or managing inflammatory problems.
The research’s animal experiments additional highlighted methylene blue’s therapeutic potential. When mice got lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate extreme irritation, remedy with methylene blue considerably elevated their survival charges, suggesting that methylene blue may very well be useful in managing extreme inflammatory circumstances like sepsis.17
The compound additionally diminished irritation in a mannequin of Listeria an infection, demonstrating its versatility in addressing various kinds of inflammatory triggers. Importantly, methylene blue’s results have been noticed at doses corresponding to these already used safely in people for different medical functions.
From decreasing the chance of issues after surgical procedures to serving to with power inflammatory circumstances, methylene blue’s wide-ranging results on irritation make it a compound value maintaining a tally of on your well being toolbox.
Safety from EMF Publicity, More healthy Pores and skin and Different Advantages
In our more and more wi-fi world, electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are vital concern, however, along with minimizing your publicity, methylene blue will help. “Non-native EMF publicity is an issue,” Crawford says. “Methylene blue will assist with radiation publicity. Crucial, and one other massive motive that I take it every single day.”18
Analysis additionally suggests methylene blue helps promote youthful pores and skin by decreasing reactive oxygen species, stimulating cell proliferation and upregulating antioxidant defenses.19 One other research revealed March 2024 within the journal Growing old investigated how methylene blue improves skeletal ageing when administered over a long-term interval, supporting bone well being.20
I additionally advocate having methylene blue available at dwelling in case of a coronary heart assault. Whereas sudden dying is the most typical symptom of coronary heart illness, surviving people face the intense menace of reperfusion damage, the place mobile dysfunction and dying could worsen following the restoration of blood move.
Methylene blue administration can considerably mitigate tissue injury; nevertheless, correct dosage is essential to keep away from overdose. Administer methylene blue inside minutes of the cardiac occasion to fulfill the vital time threshold.21
Methylene Blue Aspect Results
Whereas methylene blue has a powerful security profile when used appropriately, there are some necessary issues:22
1. Blue discoloration — Methylene blue will quickly flip urine and typically your tongue blue. That is innocent however will be startling if sudden. This usually happens when the dose is bigger than 30 to 50 mg which is a dose about ten instances larger than I like to recommend for many.
2. Interference with pulse oximeters — Excessive doses of methylene blue can have an effect on pulse oximeter readings.
3. Serotonin syndrome danger — I might advise robust warning for anybody ever to take an SSRI drug. I don’t imagine anybody advantages from them and would encourage you to learn my final article on SSRIs. Taking methylene blue solely worsens this danger as they enhance serotonin ranges even additional.
This usually solely happens at excessive doses which can be used to deal with life threatening conditions and is probably going not often, if ever, happen at decrease doses that I like to recommend of three to five mg. This principally happens in these on SSRI medication and taking doses of methylene blue over 100 mg.
4. Kidney considerations — These with extreme renal insufficiency ought to use warning and work intently with a well being care supplier.
5. G6PD deficiency — Methylene blue is contraindicated in sufferers with this genetic dysfunction.
The most typical uncomfortable side effects associated to methylene blue contain gastrointestinal discomfort, together with nausea and diarrhea, that are usually delicate and transient. Nonetheless, allergic reactions, starting from pores and skin rashes to life-threatening anaphylaxis, are additionally potential.
Neurological results reminiscent of complications and confusion can happen, with excessive doses doubtlessly triggering serotonin syndrome, particularly in sufferers taking serotonergic drugs.23 For people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, methylene blue could cause hemolytic anemia, making it essential to display for this genetic situation earlier than administration.
Cardiovascular results, although much less frequent, could embrace elevated blood stress and palpitations. Importantly, methylene blue can work together with varied drugs, notably antidepressants and antimalarials, altering their efficacy or inflicting antagonistic reactions.
Keep away from Utilizing Methylene Blue Options
Dissolving methylene blue in water can result in a major lower in its effectiveness after 48 to 72 hours for a number of causes:
1. Photodegradation — Methylene blue is delicate to gentle, notably UV radiation. When uncovered to pure or synthetic gentle, the chemical construction of methylene blue can break down, leading to a lack of its therapeutic properties. This degradation course of is accelerated when the compound is dissolved in water and uncovered to gentle, diminishing its effectiveness.
2. Chemical reactions — In aqueous options, methylene blue can endure redox reactions, particularly within the presence of different substances that will act as decreasing brokers. These reactions can alter the chemical construction of methylene blue, decreasing its capability to perform successfully as a drugs.
3. Adsorption to container surfaces — Methylene blue molecules can adsorb onto the surfaces of the container in which they’re saved, reminiscent of glass or plastic. This adsorption reduces the focus of methylene blue accessible within the resolution, successfully reducing the dosage that may be administered from the answer.
4. Instability in aqueous options — Methylene blue could also be much less secure in water in comparison with its powdered kind. The aqueous surroundings can facilitate interactions between methylene blue and different dissolved substances, which could result in precipitation or the formation of much less lively complexes.
5. Elevated danger of contamination — Options of methylene blue, as soon as ready, are extra vulnerable to bacterial contamination in comparison with stable types. Contamination can additional degrade the answer or result in the manufacturing of by-products that may diminish the effectiveness of methylene blue and pose security dangers.
For these causes, it is strongly recommended to make use of pharmaceutical-grade methylene blue in stable, capsule or pill kind, as solely as prescribed by a healthcare skilled. Keep away from utilizing any options of methylene blue for the explanations described above.
Use Methylene Blue
Most consultants advocate comparatively excessive doses for longer-term remedies, together with dementia prevention and remedy, post-stroke care, cognitive enhancement and total well being optimization.
The doses they advise are 0.5 milligram (mg) to 1 mg per kilogram of physique weight. I imagine these doses are extremely extreme and pointless. Please perceive that doses of greater than 3 to five mg are doubtless by no means wanted except you might be present process remedy for some life-threatening conditioning like carbon monoxide or cyanide poisoning or a resistant urinary tract an infection.
Deciding on the best product can be necessary, and there are three sorts usually bought — industrial-grade, chemical-grade (laboratory-grade) and pharmaceutical-grade. The one one it is best to use is the pharmaceutical-grade selection. Different kinds of methylene blue, such because the one present in pet shops, are meant for preserving aquariums clear. Industrial-grade methylene blue incorporates impurities, and will by no means be used for any organic functions.
There are a number of necessary issues to contemplate when utilizing methylene blue. Firstly, whilst you can simply and cheaply buy methylene blue on-line, that is not often a pharmaceutical grade product, and I strongly advocate by no means utilizing these merchandise due to the chance of heavy metallic contamination.
Secondly, it’s a prescription drug and might solely be used with a prescription from a health care provider. Should you’re contemplating it, I encourage you to talk along with your physician about whether or not it may be applicable on your wants.
Thirdly, it’s greatest to get your prescription crammed by a compounding pharmacy. The one type of methylene blue accessible at standard pharmacies is for IV use and a ten ml vial incorporates 100 mg and prices over $200.
The dose of methylene blue that I like to recommend is 3 to five mg as soon as a day (no matter your weight). It has a half-life of 12 to 13 hours, so taking it as soon as a day is ample and can enhance your ranges over time. It’s additionally greatest to take a break day as soon as per week in case you are taking it long run.
