Methylene Blue

Larry A. Law

A lot of people have been asking about the health benefits of methylene blue, so it was time for me to take a deep dive into it. I didn't know that methylene blue (MB) is actually the parent molecule for chloroquine (which includes hydroxychloroquine). I knew I was going to like it immediately! Besides having antiviral aspects, MB helps mitochondrial respiration (the energy factories in our cells). It also improves brain energy metabolism, which results in improved cognitive performance. Besides all that, it prevents neurodegeneration (brain cell and nerve system damage). 

Background

Methylthioninium chloride, commonly called methylene blue, is a salt that has been used as a dye and as a medication. It was the first synthetic drug in modern history—developed in 1876. The first medical application was for malaria. In 1890, Paul Ehrlich, a scientist at the Charite Hospital in Berlin, discovered that MB inhibits an enzyme that weakens the malaria parasite. 

Other drugs developed from or with it include antibiotics and antiseptics. In the past, it was commonly used to treat urinary tract infections. It’s also been used as an antiviral agent in blood used for transfusions. To this day, MB is found in every hospital in the world, as it’s the only known antidote for metabolic poisons or, put more simply, any poison that interferes with oxygen transport or displaces oxygen, either from the blood or from the mitochondria. For example, if you’re admitted for carbon monoxide poisoning, they’ll give you MB intravenously. Cyanide is another example. The only known antidote for cyanide poisoning is MB. In addition, the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) utilizes it as a component for treating acute lung infections like those caused by COVID-19.

Importantly, MB is a hormetic drug, which means that low doses have the opposite effect of high doses.  This means that administering low-dose concentrations stimulates or induces a biological process, while high-dose concentrations inhibit that process and cause the opposite reaction. Being aware of that interaction is critical to using MB safely and effectively.

MB as an Antioxidant and Energy Increaser

Dr. Francisco Gonzalez-Lima, an MB researcher, does an outstanding job explaining how MB helps benefit the body through its action on the mitochondria in the cells that produce energy. If it is too much scientific detail, you can skip the quote.

“Our body uses electrons as part of the electron transport chain that happens inside mitochondria, and these electrons, moved along through the mitochondria, are generated from electron donors that we produce by the foods
that we eat. All the foods that we eat, the only way they contribute to energy is by producing electron donors. They donate these electrons to the electron transport [system] inside the mitochondria.

The ultimate electron acceptor in nature is oxygen. [Oxygen is always looking for two electrons.] That's why the process of removing electrons from a compound is referred to as oxidation. In mitochondria, this process is called oxidative phosphorylation. The electron transport is coupled with the phosphorylation of adenosine to eventually produce the adenosine triphosphate molecule (ATP). Methylene blue is an electron cycler. It's an autooxidizing compound. So, methylene blue donates its electrons directly to the electron transport chain. It obtains electrons from surrounding compounds, and maintains oxygen consumption and energy production. By doing this, it helps oxygen to be fully reduced into water.

So, it [MB] becomes two things that are often not found together. It acts as an antioxidant, because oxygen is neutralized into water by donating electrons to the electron transport, and it produces energy, because when the electron transport pumps are moving along oxidative phosphorylation, you have an increase in ATP formation.
Oftentimes, we have things that improve energy metabolism, but then they lead to oxidative stress. In the case of methylene blue, that's not the case. You can increase oxygen consumption rates, increase ATP production for energy metabolism, and at the same time reduce oxidative stress. [This] of course, will lead to reduction in oxidative damage at the level of mitochondria, then at the level of the other parts of the cells, and eventually membranes of the cells [glycocalyx], and reactions that are cascades of this oxidative damage.”

Uses

When you’re perfectly healthy, low doses of methylene blue will enhance oxygen consumption, mitochondrial respiration and ATP production above baseline, essentially optimizing the whole system. So, MB acts as a metabolic enhancer and not just an antidote for metabolic poisons and other inhibitory processes.

MB can also play a role in the prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and strokes. According to Dr. Gonzalez-Lima, “Any process where increasing oxygen-based energy production plays a major role, methylene blue will have a role to play."

It is also highly effective against urinary tract infections (UTIs) in elderly patients. These folks are often put on antibiotics which disrupt their microbiome. Dr. Mercola explains that MB was used for decades at a dose of 65 mg per day. "Since your body doesn’t really metabolize it, it is excreted by your kidneys into your bladder where it reaches very high concentrations over time and becomes a potent oxidant stress that kills virtually any pathogen in the bladder. Plus, it has the additional 'side effect' of improving brain health and reducing dementia. In my mind, it is reprehensible medical malpractice not to use methylene blue in UTIs in the elderly. It clearly is the safest and most effective drug of choice."

Selecting an Appropriate MB Product

While MB is very safe, there are some concerns (contraindications). Because it is a hormetic drug, check with your doctor to make sure dosing levels are appropriate for your situation. Also, realize that there are three types of MB: industrial, chemical, and pharmaceutical-grade. The only version you want to take is pharmaceutical-grade. Do not ingest MB from the pet store. That is industrial-grade MB used as an antiseptic for fish tanks. It has lots of impurities and contains only 10-25% MB. Chemical-grade is used for staining (dye) purposes in laboratories, but it can have heavy metal impurities and become toxic to you over time. Pharmaceutical-grade is 99%+ pure. This is the kind used for injecting intravenously as an antidote or for oral use. These products are marked United States Pharmacopeia (USP). You won't find MB at the local pharmacy, but many compounding pharmacies can obtain the pharmaceutical grade or you can also find it on Amazon. It comes in liquid or you can get it in tablets. Tablets are better, so the MB doesn't stain your teeth, although your urine will become blue. This doesn't signify a problem, and your urine will return to its familiar color when you stop taking MB.