Latest news with #methyleneBlue
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Does methylene blue really have health benefits? Pharmacologist gives verdict
The internet is abuzz with tributes to a liquid chemical called methylene blue that is being sold as a health supplement. Over the past five or 10 years, methylene blue has come to be touted online as a so-called nootropic agent – a substance that enhances cognitive function. Vendors claim that it amps up brain energy, improves memory, boosts focus and dispels brain fog, among other supposed benefits. Health influencers, such as podcaster Joe Rogan, have sung its praises. In February 2025, shortly before he was confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared in a video squirting a blue liquid widely presumed to be methylene blue into a glass, though he never verbally endorsed the substance. As a researcher studying inflammation and cancer, I investigate how dyes affect human health. Claims about methylene blue are alluring, and it's easy to buy into its promise. But so far, evidence supporting its health benefits is scant, and there are some serious risks to using the substance outside of medical practice. What is methylene blue? Methylene blue is a synthetic dye that exists as a dark green powder and takes on a deep blue colour when dissolved in water. My work and that of others suggest that many synthetic dyes widely used in foods and medicines can trigger potentially harmful immune system reactions in the body. But unlike commonly used food dyes – one of which was recently banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – methylene blue is not derived from petroleum, also known as crude oil. Instead, it comes from a different family of dyes, which isn't thought to have these health concerns. Methylene blue was first synthesised in 1876 as a dye for textiles and was valued for its intense colour and ability to bind well to fabrics. Soon after, German physician Paul Ehrlich discovered its ability to stain biological tissues and to kill the parasite that causes malaria, making it one of the first synthetic drugs used in medicine. The chemical didn't gain widespread use as a malaria treatment because it was no more effective than quinine, the standard therapy at the time. But in the 1930s, the dye found a new use in testing the safety of raw or unpasteurized milk. If its blue colour faded quickly, the milk was contaminated with bacteria, but if it remained blue, the milk was considered relatively clean. This safety test is now largely obsolete. But it works thanks to methylene blue's chemical superpower, which is that its molecules can swap electrons with other molecules, like a tiny battery charger. How do doctors use it today? That same chemical superpower enables some of methylene blue's medical uses. Most significantly, doctors use it to treat a rare blood disorder called methemoglobinemia, in which haemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, takes on a different form that can't do the job. Methylene blue restores haemoglobin's function by transferring an electron. Doctors also sometimes use methylene blue to treat the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, septic shock or toxicities from drugs such as chemotherapy. It is also used as a surgical dye to highlight specific tissues, such as lymph nodes, or to identify where tissue is leaky and therefore may be damaged. How does methylene blue affect the brain? Methylene blue can enter the brain by crossing the protective tissue barrier that surrounds it. Researchers have also found that the chemical can protect and support mitochondria, cell structures that are often described as the powerhouses of the cell. Methylene blue may help mitochondria generate energy for cells to use. For these reasons, researchers are studying methylene blue's effect on the brain. So far, most of what's known about the substance's effects on the brain comes from studies in rats and in cells grown in a lab dish, not in people. For example, researchers have found that methylene blue may improve learning, boost memory and protect brain cells in rats with a condition that mimics Alzheimer's disease. Studies in rodents have also found that methylene blue can protect the brain from damage from brain injury. Other studies showed that methylene blue is useful in treating ischemic stroke in rats. However, no research to date has examined whether it protects people's brains from traumatic brain injury or stroke. A handful of clinical trials have investigated the effects of methylene blue in treating aspects of Alzheimer's disease in people, but a 2023 review of these trials notes that their results have been mixed and not conclusive. A small study of 26 people found that a single low dose of the chemical boosted memory by about 7 per cent and increased brain activity during thinking tasks. Another study by the same researchers found that methylene blue changed how different parts of the brain connected, though it didn't improve thinking skills. Although some studies in people have shown hints that methylene blue may be beneficial for some brain-related issues, such as pain management and neuropsychiatric disorders, such studies to date have been small. This suggests that while there may be patient circumstances where methylene blue is beneficial, researchers have not yet pinned down what those are. Is methylene blue safe? Methylene blue is generally safe when used under medical supervision. However, the chemical has some serious risks. For one thing, it can interact with widely used medications. Methylene blue inhibits a molecule called monoamine oxidase, whose job is to break down an important brain chemical, serotonin. Many commonly used medications for treating anxiety and depression target serotonin. Taking the supplement along with these medicines can cause a condition called serotonin syndrome, which can lead to agitation, confusion, high fever, rapid heart rate, muscle stiffness and, in severe cases, seizures or even death. In people with a rare genetic deficiency of an enzyme called G6PD, methylene blue can cause a dangerous condition in which red blood cells break down too quickly. At high doses, the chemical can also raise blood pressure or cause heart problems. Also, it's considered unsafe for pregnant or breastfeeding women because it may harm the fetus or baby. Overall, while scientists have found hints of some fascinating properties of methylene blue, much larger, longer trials are needed to know if it truly works, what the right dose is and how safe it is over time.
CBC
11-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Despite viral videos, methylene blue won't improve your mood or cognition, experts say
A chemical first synthesized in the 1800s as a textiles dye is making the rounds on social media as an easy way to boost mood and enhance cognition. However, experts say it's only really useful in treating very specific medical conditions, most notably a rare blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Methylene blue received significant social media attention after a video began circulating in February showing U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. using a dropper to add a blue liquid to a glass of water. "To anyone who knows anything about chemistry, you look at that video and it's very clear that he's squirting methylene blue into the glass," said Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, speaking with Dr. Brian Goldman, host of The Dose podcast. Health and wellness influencers, including podcasters like Joe Rogan, quickly began suggesting that, taken orally, methylene blue could be used to improve cognition, minimize the signs of aging and even — in the case of controversial filmmaker Mel Gibson — fight cancer. Despite the attention it has received, experts say that people shouldn't take methylene blue unless under the supervision of a medical professional. What is methylene blue? First synthesized in the late 1800s by German chemist Heinrich Car o, methylene blue began its life as a textiles dye. But it was soon discovered it could stain microbes under a microscope, making them easier to see and study. After methylene blue was found to not only stain but actually kill one of the parasites that causes malaria, the dye took on a new life as a treatment for the mosquito-borne disease, Schwarcz says. "It competed with quinine, but it was much cheaper to produce," said Schwarcz, who has a PhD in chemistry and also teaches at McGill. "By playing around with the molecular structure, sort of molecular roulette, [chemists] were able to change the structure of the molecule eventually into chloroquine, which is still widely used today to treat malaria." Because of this, methylene blue remains on the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines. How else is methylene blue used today? Modern physicians now mostly know it as a treatment for methemoglobinemia, a rare condition that occurs when the blood is unable to adequately carry oxygen throughout the body. "Methylene blue is effective at … helping them restore the balance to a normal amount of oxygenated hemoglobin or deoxygenated hemoglobin," said Dr. Emily Austin, a Toronto-based emergency physician and medical director of the Ontario Poison Centre. Drugs like dapsone, used to treat leprosy and certain kinds of dermatitis, as well as substances like amyl nitrites — found in party drugs like poppers, as well as in soil runoff contaminated by fertilizers — can cause methemoglobinemia. Topical anesthetics can also sometimes cause chemical changes in the body that lead to methemoglobinemia, says Austin. WATCH | Not sure if that online health advice is legit? Watch this: Not sure if that online health advice is legit? Watch this 3 months ago Duration 1:56 Symptoms of methemoglobinemia include blue lips or blue fingertips, shortness of breath, confusion and fainting. Patients may even have a distinct chocolate colour to their blood. Austin says methemoglobinemia is relatively rare, and she has seen it only once since she began working as an emergency physician in 2016, though she adds that the condition is seen more frequently at the Ontario Poison Centre. "In general, it's still a fairly rare occurrence," said Austin. "This is not something that somebody would necessarily see in their career as a practising emergency physician, although it's common enough that I think it's important we have an approach to it." Is there anything to the claims methylene blue can prevent Alzheimer's? Some social media claims have suggested methylene blue can be effective in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease. Schwarcz, however, says the link between methylene blue and Alzheimer's is more complicated than Tiktok might suggest. One of the telltale neurological signs of Alzheimer's disease is the tangling of tau proteins in the brain. "It turns out that methylene blue was not only able to visualize and stain those tangled proteins that characterize Alzheimer's disease, but, amazingly, under the microscope … it actually untangled those proteins," said Schwarcz. However, research has shown that ingesting methylene blue orally does little to improve symptoms of Alzheimer's. What has shown some promise in very early research on animals, Schwarcz said, is a derivative of methylene blue created by altering its molecular structure. "There have been a couple of pilot studies on humans where it seems that the deterioration in terms of Alzheimer's was slowed down somewhat," he said. "But we need a lot more work there." A 2023 comprehensive review of randomized control trials examining the effects of methylene blue and its derivatives on Alzheimer's treatment highlighted the compound's "potential to improve cognitive function, reduce oxidative stress, and protect against neurodegeneration." Nonetheless, the same paper pointed out several concerns, among them safety issues and adverse effects — including mild to moderate gastrointestinal and urinary effects — while simultaneously highlighting the need for studies with larger sample sizes, longer treatment durations and an examination of proper dosages and administration routes. For his part, Schwarcz says not only does the commercially available methylene blue bear little resemblance to the derivative included in that research, there's little benefit to taking it until better, longer-term research shows that it actually can improve brain health. "I can't say that there's no long-term risk, because no one has ever studied this over the long-term," said Schwarcz. Methylene blue and SSRIs Austin, however, says people taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), a class of medication typically used to treat depression, should avoid consuming methylene blue. That's because taking it along with SSRIs inhibits the breakdown of serotonin, and can lead to a condition known as serotonin toxicity, says Austin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that, among other functions, plays a role in regulating mood, cognition and memory. Too much serotonin circulating in the body — sometimes called serotonin syndrome — can lead to higher or lower heart rate, high blood pressure, increased body temperature, as well as changes in the behaviour of muscles and reflexes, Austin says. She says concerns around serotonin toxicity are one of the reasons why she might avoid treating her patients with methylene blue. WATCH | Teen fact checkers take on fake TikTok posts: Teen fact checkers take on fake TikTok posts 1 year ago Duration 2:00 An elite teen squad of fact checkers with the help of media literacy organizations are learning to suss out scams and fake information on TikTok, making videos to teach other teens about misinformation online. Poor scientific literacy behind proliferation of health misinformation As someone who regularly works to combat health and other scientific misinformation, Schwarcz says a lack of scientific literacy is one of the reasons why social media users easily spread dubious information about methylene blue and other topics. "They don't understand the underlying science, and they will make mountains out of molehills," said Schwarcz. "Unfortunately, this is just the way things are working these days. Social media has taken over information spread." At the same time, Schwarcz blames public figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for aiding in the spread of misinformation.
