The Dose19:16What can we learn about methylene blue?
A chemical first synthesized within the 1800s as a textiles dye is making the rounds on social media as a simple option to enhance temper and improve cognition. Nevertheless, consultants say it is solely actually helpful in treating very particular medical situations, most notably a uncommon blood dysfunction referred to as methemoglobinemia.
Methylene blue acquired important social media consideration after a video began circulating in February exhibiting U.S. Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. utilizing a dropper so as to add a blue liquid to a glass of water.
“To anybody who is aware of something about chemistry, you have a look at that video and it’s totally clear that he is squirting methylene blue into the glass,” stated Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill College’s Workplace for Science and Society, talking with Dr. Brian Goldman, host of The Dose podcast.
Well being and wellness influencers, together with podcasters like Joe Rogan, rapidly started suggesting that, taken orally, methylene blue could possibly be used to enhance cognition, reduce the indicators of getting old and even — within the case of controversial filmmaker Mel Gibson — combat most cancers.
Regardless of the eye it has acquired, consultants say that individuals should not take methylene blue except below the supervision of a medical skilled.
What’s methylene blue?
First synthesized within the late 1800s by German chemist Heinrich Caro, methylene blue started its life as a textiles dye. But it surely was quickly found it might stain microbes below a microscope, making them simpler to see and examine.
After methylene blue was discovered to not solely stain however really kill one of many parasites that causes malaria, the dye took on a brand new life as a remedy for the mosquito-borne illness, Schwarcz says.
“It competed with quinine, nevertheless it was less expensive to provide,” stated Schwarcz, who has a PhD in chemistry and in addition teaches at McGill.
“By enjoying round with the molecular construction, form of molecular roulette, [chemists] had been in a position to change the construction of the molecule ultimately into chloroquine, which continues to be broadly used at the moment to deal with malaria.”
Due to this, methylene blue stays on the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines.
How else is methylene blue used at the moment?
Trendy physicians now principally understand it as a remedy for methemoglobinemia, a uncommon situation that happens when the blood is unable to adequately carry oxygen all through the physique.
“Methylene blue is efficient at … serving to them restore the stability to a traditional quantity of oxygenated hemoglobin or deoxygenated hemoglobin,” stated Dr. Emily Austin, a Toronto-based emergency doctor and medical director of the Ontario Poison Centre.
Medicine like dapsone, used to deal with leprosy and sure sorts of dermatitis, in addition to substances like amyl nitrites — present in party drugs like poppers, in addition to in soil runoff contaminated by fertilizers — could cause methemoglobinemia.
Topical anesthetics also can typically trigger chemical modifications within the physique that result in methemoglobinemia, says Austin.
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Signs of methemoglobinemia embrace blue lips or blue fingertips, shortness of breath, confusion and fainting. Sufferers could also have a distinct chocolate color to their blood.
Austin says methemoglobinemia is comparatively uncommon, and she or he has seen it solely as soon as since she started working as an emergency doctor in 2016, although she provides that the situation is seen extra incessantly on the Ontario Poison Centre.
“Generally, it is nonetheless a reasonably uncommon prevalence,” stated Austin.
“This isn’t one thing that anyone would essentially see of their profession as a practising emergency doctor, though it’s normal sufficient that I believe it is necessary we’ve got an method to it.”
Is there something to the claims methylene blue can forestall Alzheimer’s?
Some social media claims have urged methylene blue will be efficient in stopping and treating Alzheimer’s illness.
Schwarcz, nevertheless, says the hyperlink between methylene blue and Alzheimer’s is extra sophisticated than Tiktok would possibly counsel.
One of many telltale neurological indicators of Alzheimer’s illness is the tangling of tau proteins within the mind.
“It seems that methylene blue was not solely in a position to visualize and stain these tangled proteins that characterize Alzheimer’s illness, however, amazingly, below the microscope … it really untangled these proteins,” stated Schwarcz.
Nevertheless, research has shown that ingesting methylene blue orally does little to enhance signs of Alzheimer’s.
What has proven some promise in very early analysis on animals, Schwarcz stated, is a by-product of methylene blue created by altering its molecular construction.
“There have been a few pilot research on people the place plainly the deterioration when it comes to Alzheimer’s was slowed down considerably,” he stated.
“However we want much more work there.”
A 2023 comprehensive review of randomized management trials inspecting the results of methylene blue and its derivatives on Alzheimer’s remedy highlighted the compound’s “potential to enhance cognitive perform, scale back oxidative stress, and shield in opposition to neurodegeneration.”
Nonetheless, the identical paper identified a number of issues, amongst them questions of safety and hostile results — together with gentle to average gastrointestinal and urinary results — whereas concurrently highlighting the necessity for research with bigger pattern sizes, longer remedy durations and an examination of correct dosages and administration routes.
For his half, Schwarcz says not solely does the commercially obtainable methylene blue bear little resemblance to the by-product included in that analysis, there’s little profit to taking it till higher, longer-term analysis reveals that it really can enhance mind well being.
“I am unable to say that there is not any long-term threat, as a result of nobody has ever studied this over the long-term,” stated Schwarcz.
Methylene blue and SSRIs
Austin, nevertheless, says individuals taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), a category of remedy sometimes used to deal with despair, ought to keep away from consuming methylene blue.
That is as a result of taking it together with SSRIs inhibits the breakdown of serotonin, and may result in a situation referred to as serotonin toxicity, says Austin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that, amongst different features, performs a task in regulating temper, cognition and reminiscence.
An excessive amount of serotonin circulating within the physique — typically referred to as serotonin syndrome — can result in increased or decrease coronary heart price, hypertension, elevated physique temperature, in addition to modifications within the behaviour of muscle tissues and reflexes, Austin says.
She says concerns around serotonin toxicity are one of many the reason why she would possibly keep away from treating her sufferers with methylene blue.
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Poor scientific literacy behind proliferation of well being misinformation
As somebody who often works to fight well being and different scientific misinformation, Schwarcz says a scarcity of scientific literacy is among the the reason why social media customers simply unfold doubtful details about methylene blue and different matters.
“They do not perceive the underlying science, and they’ll make mountains out of molehills,” stated Schwarcz.
“Sadly, that is simply the best way issues are working lately. Social media has taken over info unfold.”
On the similar time, Schwarcz blames public figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for aiding within the unfold of misinformation.
“He simply does not know the way the scientific world works, and but he has this skill to unfold info,” stated Schwarcz.
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