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 provide you an replace as to my present ideas on this attention-grabbing 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 trade, it later discovered functions in drugs because of its antimicrobial properties.
Methylene blue stays an vital a part of the technique’s utilized in hospitals worldwide because of its distinctive skill to counteract mitochondrial metabolic poisons. These are sometimes molecules that disrupt the circulation of electrons within the complexes of the electron transport chain of the mitochondria.
In circumstances of carbon monoxide or cyanide poisoning, as an illustration, medical professionals administer methylene blue intravenously as a main therapy. At this time, it is gaining additional consideration within the pure well being neighborhood for its skill to advertise wholesome pores and skin, sluggish skeletal getting older, 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 affect is on how cells produce vitality. It primarily works by interacting with the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which performs a significant position in mobile vitality technology.
Throughout regular mobile respiration, electrons from the meals we eat are handed by means of 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 vitality foreign money of cells. On this chain, oxygen acts as the ultimate electron acceptor.
What makes methylene blue particular is its skill to just accept electrons and switch them on to oxygen, successfully making a shortcut within the common electron transport chain. This different pathway can enhance vitality manufacturing, particularly in conditions the place regular mobile processes are compromised or not working at full effectivity.
By enabling simpler electron switch and vitality technology, methylene blue has the potential to reinforce varied points of how cells perform and total well being. This skill to work together with and optimize mobile vitality processes is what makes methylene blue a subject of curiosity in each scientific research and potential medical functions.
Improved Mitochondrial Operate
One of the crucial thrilling points of methylene blue is its potential to enhance mitochondrial effectivity and enhance mobile vitality. This enchancment in mobile vitality manufacturing has wide-ranging advantages all through your physique. Whether or not it is therapeutic, neurotransmitter manufacturing or every other mobile perform, optimized mitochondria assist your physique carry out at its greatest.
Even in wholesome people, low doses can enhance the physique’s vitality manufacturing programs. It enhances oxygen use, mitochondrial perform and ATP technology past regular ranges, basically fine-tuning all the metabolic course of. This implies it serves as each a efficiency booster for mobile vitality manufacturing and a treatment for metabolic disruptions.
Moreover, methylene blue’s affect on mitochondrial respiration is linked to broader constructive results. It stimulates your physique to extend its oxygen-processing capabilities total. Moreover, it influences blood circulation 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 Towards Alzheimer’s Illness
Methylene blue has a selected affinity for neurological tissue and has been investigated for varied psychiatric problems, together with manic states and melancholy. Crawford states, “It does have an affect on the central nervous system … A few of this isn’t extraordinarily nicely outlined. It does appear to have a constructive affect on dopamine and dopamine programs. It positively influences serotonin and your serotonergic programs.”1
In a single examine, methylene blue was given to sufferers with manic melancholy, often known as bipolar dysfunction, who didn’t reply to standard therapy. Fourteen of them confirmed “particular enchancment” in consequence.2 In a separate three-week trial, methylene blue led to considerably larger enchancment than placebo in individuals with extreme depressive sickness.3
Paradoxically, you’ll have heard of methylene blue as a fish tank therapy, however this humble compound is now on the forefront of Alzheimer’s analysis as nicely. A examine revealed {that a} stabilized type of methylene blue, known as hydromethylthionine (LMTM), slows cognitive decline and mind atrophy in gentle to reasonable 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 examine discovered that sufferers with plasma concentrations as little as 0.4 to 0.8 ng/ml confirmed enhancements in cognitive perform and decreased mind shrinkage. In line with examine writer Claude Wischik of Aberdeen College:5
“Along with the discount in mind atrophy, we had been shocked to see the massive cognitive results of therapy within the affected person group with the upper blood ranges of hydromethylthionine on the 8 mg day by day dose.
In line with 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 increased concentrations, exhibiting that there isn’t any want for extreme dosing to realize optimum outcomes. Importantly, methylene blue is a hormetic drug, which implies that low doses have the other 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 reasonably than its regular decreased +2 state.
Nonetheless, when you 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 may kill micro organism and tumor cells.
Defend Liver Well being
Methylene blue reveals promise to be a useful in treating fatty liver situations, providing hope for these combating 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 skill to activate SIRT1, a protein also known as a “longevity gene.”7
SIRT1 performs a vital position in sustaining vitality stability in your physique, much like the consequences of calorie restriction. By growing SIRT1 ranges, methylene blue units off a cascade of useful results. It enhances mitochondrial perform, resulting in improved vitality manufacturing and utilization. This activation mimics the advantages of calorie restriction with out the necessity for drastic dietary modifications, providing a extra accessible method to help your liver well being and total wellbeing.
One of the crucial promising points of methylene blue’s motion is its skill to fight extreme fats accumulation within the liver. The examine confirmed that methylene blue prompts AMPK, an enzyme that acts as a metabolic grasp change.8 This activation results in elevated fats burning and decreased fats manufacturing within the liver.
Moreover, methylene blue was discovered to reinforce the exercise of CPT-1 and PPARα, two key gamers in fats metabolism. These results collectively work to cut 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 consequences of a high-fat food regimen. In mice fed a high-fat food regimen for eight weeks, therapy with methylene blue considerably decreased 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 harm, but additionally in treating current situations.
By activating SIRT1 and selling mitochondrial well being, methylene blue helps your liver cells turn into extra resilient to emphasize and higher outfitted 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 vital position in your liver’s skill to course of estrogen. This perform is significant for sustaining hormonal stability, which impacts quite a few points of your well being. Analysis relationship again to early research has proven that B nutritional vitamins, notably B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin), are important in your liver’s skill to deactivate and metabolize estrogen.11
Curiously, different research have discovered that this course of could be additional enhanced by including niacinamide (a type of vitamin B3) and methylene blue to the combo.12,13 Methylene blue’s position on this course of is especially fascinating. Underneath regular situations, your liver wants oxygen to interrupt down estrogen successfully. Nonetheless, in conditions the place oxygen is perhaps restricted, methylene blue steps in as a strong ally.
It acts instead electron acceptor, basically mimicking the position of oxygen within the estrogen breakdown course of. Which means that even in less-than-ideal situations, methylene blue helps your liver proceed its essential activity of managing estrogen ranges.14
Furthermore, the mixture of methylene blue with niacinamide is especially efficient. Niacinamide helps preserve ranges of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a vital molecule for a lot of mobile processes, together with estrogen metabolism. By preserving NAD+ ranges, niacinamide ensures that your liver has the sources it must course of estrogen effectively.15
When mixed with methylene blue’s skill 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 presents a complete strategy to sustaining liver well being and, by extension, your total wellbeing.
A Highly effective Anti-Inflammatory Agent
Methylene blue additionally presents 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 examine discovered that methylene blue can block a number of varieties 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 cut back the manufacturing of proinflammatory molecules like IL-1β and IL-18.
These findings counsel that methylene blue might be useful in managing varied inflammatory situations. The compound additionally demonstrated a capability to enhance mitochondrial perform and cut back oxidative stress, that are key components in lots of persistent illnesses. By addressing irritation at a number of ranges, methylene blue presents a promising strategy to supporting your total well being and stopping or managing inflammatory problems.
The examine’s animal experiments additional highlighted methylene blue’s therapeutic potential. When mice got lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate extreme irritation, therapy with methylene blue considerably elevated their survival charges, suggesting that methylene blue might be useful in managing extreme inflammatory situations like sepsis.17
The compound additionally decreased irritation in a mannequin of Listeria an infection, demonstrating its versatility in addressing several types of inflammatory triggers. Importantly, methylene blue’s results had been noticed at doses corresponding to these already used safely in people for different medical functions.
From lowering the chance of issues after surgical procedures to serving to with persistent inflammatory situations, methylene blue’s wide-ranging results on irritation make it a compound value keeping track of in 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 can assist. “Non-native EMF publicity is an issue,” Crawford says. “Methylene blue will assist with radiation publicity. Essential, and one other large cause that I take it each day.”18
Analysis additionally suggests methylene blue helps promote youthful pores and skin by lowering reactive oxygen species, stimulating cell proliferation and upregulating antioxidant defenses.19 One other examine revealed March 2024 within the journal Getting older investigated how methylene blue improves skeletal getting older when administered over a long-term interval, supporting bone well being.20
I additionally advocate having methylene blue available at house in case of a coronary heart assault. Whereas sudden loss of life is the most typical symptom of coronary heart illness, surviving people face the intense risk of reperfusion damage, the place mobile dysfunction and loss of life could worsen following the restoration of blood circulation.
Methylene blue administration can considerably mitigate tissue harm; nevertheless, correct dosage is essential to keep away from overdose. Administer methylene blue inside minutes of the cardiac occasion to satisfy the crucial time threshold.21
Methylene Blue Facet Results
Whereas methylene blue has a formidable security profile when used appropriately, there are some vital issues:22
1. Blue discoloration — Methylene blue will quickly flip urine and typically your tongue blue. That is innocent however could be startling if surprising. This sometimes happens when the dose is bigger than 30 to 50 mg which is a dose about ten instances increased 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 threat — I’d advise robust warning for anybody ever to take an SSRI drug. I don’t consider anybody advantages from them and would encourage you to learn my final article on SSRIs. Taking methylene blue solely worsens this threat as they enhance serotonin ranges even additional.
This sometimes solely happens at excessive doses which are used to deal with life threatening conditions and is probably going hardly ever, 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 issues — These with extreme renal insufficiency ought to use warning and work carefully with a well being care supplier.
5. G6PD deficiency — Methylene blue is contraindicated in sufferers with this genetic dysfunction.
The most typical unintended effects associated to methylene blue contain gastrointestinal discomfort, together with nausea and diarrhea, that are sometimes gentle and transient. Nonetheless, allergic reactions, starting from pores and skin rashes to life-threatening anaphylaxis, are additionally attainable.
Neurological results resembling complications and confusion can happen, with excessive doses probably triggering serotonin syndrome, particularly in sufferers taking serotonergic medicines.23 For people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, methylene blue may cause hemolytic anemia, making it essential to display screen for this genetic situation earlier than administration.
Cardiovascular results, although much less frequent, could embody elevated blood strain and palpitations. Importantly, methylene blue can work together with varied medicines, notably antidepressants and antimalarials, altering their efficacy or inflicting hostile reactions.
Keep away from Utilizing Methylene Blue Options
Dissolving methylene blue in water can result in a big 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 lowering brokers. These reactions can alter the chemical construction of methylene blue, lowering its skill 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, resembling glass or plastic. This adsorption reduces the focus of methylene blue obtainable within the answer, successfully lowering 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 atmosphere 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 threat of contamination — Options of methylene blue, as soon as ready, are extra inclined to bacterial contamination in comparison with stable kinds. 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 suggested 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.
Easy methods to Use Methylene Blue
Most specialists advocate comparatively excessive doses for longer-term remedies, together with dementia prevention and therapy, 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 consider these doses are extremely extreme and pointless. Please perceive that doses of greater than 3 to five mg are probably by no means wanted except you might be present process therapy for some life-threatening conditioning like carbon monoxide or cyanide poisoning or a resistant urinary tract an infection.
Deciding on the precise product can be vital, and there are three sorts sometimes offered — industrial-grade, chemical-grade (laboratory-grade) and pharmaceutical-grade. The one one you need to use is the pharmaceutical-grade selection. Different varieties of methylene blue, such because the one present in pet shops, are meant for maintaining aquariums clear. Industrial-grade methylene blue accommodates impurities, and will by no means be used for any organic functions.
There are a number of vital issues to contemplate when utilizing methylene blue. Firstly, when you can simply and cheaply buy methylene blue on-line, that is hardly ever 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 may 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 is perhaps acceptable in your wants.
Thirdly, it’s greatest to get your prescription crammed by a compounding pharmacy. The one type of methylene blue obtainable at typical pharmacies is for IV use and a ten ml vial accommodates 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 time without work as soon as per week in case you are taking it long run.
