It seems for the past few months the latest hot topic is about the substance called methylene blue(MB)… I’ve seen many MD doctors talk about it for many different ailments include SarsCOV2 and for those vaccinated(with damage), even for some people lately with asymmetrical faces… but what is this substance, is it safe and why the rave?
I decided to dig into the research a little bit, as I personally had very limited knowledge of the substance other than it was used in my microbiology labs.
You may have heard of MB used in the past to clean fish tanks.. It was actually one of the first synthetic chemicals used as a medication, but was a textile dye for blue jeans. However, they found it had all kinds of medicinal benefits…
In 1891, German physician and noble prize winner Paul Ehrlich first used methylene blue for the treatment of malaria. His discovery found that MB quickly concentrates in the brain and selectively targets diseased tissues in the body. He found two major properties of MB- it concentrates on nervous tissue, and secondly when injected to the malaria parasite it inhibited a particular enzyme and made it weaker. All synthetic medications were derivatives of MB as a parent compound. It’s also the parent compound of hydroxy-chloroquine, which along with ivermectin are both anti parasitic medications that were effective against SarsCOV2.
Some blood transfusions currently still use MB for its antiviral properties to stop HIV virus… It’s the only compound that is also utilized as the only antidote for metabolic poisons. Any poison that interferes with oxygen transport from blood or from the mitochondria (where oxygen is used for energy) they use MB. Often times its used for carbon monoxide poisoning ( this is where the dropping side of the face or eye symptoms are coming into play, typically the asymmetrical face presentation is CO poisoning OR cranial distortions ;)). It’s important to mention here as well that some infections also induce the expression of heme oxygenase which results in increased carbon monoxide formation inside of the body. You can read here if you like. Which basically means some infection can create CO poisoning inside of you…
Other than using MB acutely, using low dose of MB long term has not been used, and this is where the research has been coming in, to not just use it acutely, but for energy metabolism and for oxygen utilization..Dr Francisco Gonzalez-Lima an expert on Neurodegenerative Diseases has been researching MB and is a prominent researcher at the university of Texas. He’s been discovering through research that low doses also directly affects the brain energy metabolism, resulting in cognitive performance, cognitive advance, prevention of cognitive decline and improving blood flow, enhancing oxygen consumption, mitochondria and ATP production. MB has been shown in vitro studies to help all of these in humans and animals. This is especially exciting for those who have had brain traumas, stroke, or those with sleep disorder breathing patterns, but additionally it just improves oxygen and mitochondrial function so it can be utilized for general health as well.
If you’ve read some of my book (I hope you all have), you may have gotten to a section called the mighty mitochondria, where I talk about the HUGE importance of our mitochondria or energy centers in our cells being healthy. For nutrition, we ALWAYS start with mitochondrial health or energy first because if you don’t have fuel, then not only will you be tired, but also nothing will work. So many things affect our mitochondria like: infections, radiation, chemicals, heavy metals, stress, poor food choices and many many medications(some permanently damage some)…Our nerve tissue has the most mitochondria(inside the mitochondria are called electron transport chains) centers, and one of the most unique features of MB is its role in the electron transport chain and energy.
Electrons are reduced by the foods that we eat, but the food ONLY contributes to energy by producing electron donors and then donating them creating oxygen/oxidization. When the electron transport chain is coupled with adenosine it makes ATP or energy. MB inserts itself in this process because its an electron cycler, an antioxidant compound. It obtains electrons from surrounding compounds, and maintains oxygen consumption and energy production which causes oxygen to be reduced into water. Every-time that we consume oxygen, not all of the oxygen is reduced to water. The more demand we have for oxygen, the more not fully reduced oxygen called superoxide is formed. Secondly, it produces energy… It’s like a little battery. A low concentration of it reaches an equilibrium between oxidation and reduction that preserves cycling of electrons. Other compounds don’t do this.
If you have a blood flow that is impaired or you can’t get oxygenated hemoglobin to the tissues, MB can also be helpful because it optimizes the efficiency of the mitochondria respiration. So even with less oxygen available, or hemoglobin not being delivered, they’ve shown in animal studies that a loss of blood supply( you could see the beginning of memory problems and degeneration in the brain), when MB was used it prevented memory disturbances and degenerative changes.
Individuals who have chronic defects in hemoglobin( can’t get oxygenated hemoglobin to the tissues) suffer chronically with methemoglobinemia are treated life long with MB.
The blood brain barrier limits the passage of certain things into the brain, oxygen can get through, but water needs its own transport system. MB is able to pass the barrier, which has some neurologic impacts.
Other uses for MB has also been shown for : really any process where you can increase oxygen energy production you will see a benefit Dr. Lima….
- Alzheimers: MB antagonizes TAU protein aggregation. AD is the inability of the brain to use oxygen to prevent oxidative damage.
- Parkinsons disease
- brain injuries
- environmental toxin exposure (which is huge in parkinsons)
- stoke – especially all those who have been vaccinated… many stroke and heart issues are happening…MB can be protective in ishemic strokes.
- hypoxia ( in my mind, i’m also thinking not just MO poisoning but also airway issues)
- infections
- memory enhancement
- cosmetic skin care products – not much studies, but in principle seems helpful.
Whats the proper dosage??? The uses of MB depends on its dosage. There’s something called the biphasic dose response. For practical purposes we just use mg per kg of weight.
Research shows:
The range varies from 1/2 mg per kg of body weight to about 4mg per kg of body weight.
A single dose for intervention thats acute will go up to 3-4 mg per kg body weight.
A chronic situation works for a low dose which is about 1/2-1 mg per kg of body weight.
For skin issues, combined with light (locally on the area) it is about 4mg/kg.
The research recommends to not take it every day if you are going to do low dose and to do the 1/2mg dose. If you use it everyday, the 1/2 life of orally taking it is about 12-13 hours. It primarily leaves through the urine and some of it becomes stored in the bladder. On a side note, before antibiotics were used for bladder infections, MB would be used in higher doses… Why don’t they recommend it anymore!?! Seems much more effective than ruining your gut with antibiotics, especially with the elderly who get UTIs often. It acts as a pro-oxidant killing the bacteria.
….If your urine is clear it will look more blueish, if it is more concentrated, it will look more greenish. Taking the low dose you can see how long you can urinate with discoloration, you will know theres still MB in the system, and you can wait until it’s gone to dose again.
Contraindications?? Because it is a medication, there will be contraindications. Those with the genetic variation of GSPD CANNOT take this compound as it is extremely dangerous, and those with elevated liver enzymes. Additionally, anyone taking anti depressants SSRI or SNRI cannot take this compound in high ranges. Dr. Lima stated that the problem isn’t MB its the high levels of the SSRI’s that are circulating…MB is an MAO inhibitor, which means it actually acts like an antidepressant. There’s no research that shows interactions of SSRI and MB in low doses.
Purity?? As with anything, we always want to make sure that the MB is pure. Additionally, you want to make sure it is pharmaceutical grade. There’s three types: industrial, chemical and pharmaceutical grade. Don’t go to the pet store and get MB. The industrial grade has like over half being contaminated with heavy metals… so don’t do that!
Chemical grade has a higher purity, but is still not good to give to humans. The chemical is what is used for staining purposes.
Pharmaceutical grade is what you need for highest purity and also to get the results we’re talking about here. It is mostly used through IV. However you can get an oral supply, in which you want to add in the ascorbic acid as the filler, as it facilitates the reduction of MB so it actually gets absorbed. Before MB can be entered through the cell it needs to be reduced. USP grade MB is typically recommended.
Additionally, red light has also been shown to help absorb methylene blue because the photon is the same energy as the electron. So it’s great to use with your light therapy devices! It’s shown in research to combine both for skin tumors and dermatological issues.
As with ANYTHING, it all depends on your unique biochemistry. Just because its a “good” compound doesn’t mean you necessarily NEED it.. We can get caught in that trap. So I always test it with clients and if it tests as safe, then we can incorporate it in. I’m always cautious with pharmaceuticals in the sense of I want to use more natural items to achieve results.
