How Aging Kills Us

As we age, so does our brain, the brain ages through chemical and metabolic changes. For example, with time decrease in mitochondrial energy causes a decrease in attention, memory, and mental agility. Additionally, some compounds, namely Tau proteins and Amyloid,  accumulate to form plaques that cause clogging of the brain tissue. Oxidative stress from this clogging causes an increase in free radical damage as well as a decline in cerebral blood flow.

These changes most commonly occur in the elderly, but they can also occur at any age. They can be altered by the food we eat, what we drink, how much we drink, lifestyle habits, and even the air we breathe.

Since methylene Blue is an active inhibitor of oxidative stress and it also increases cerebral blood flow it can help decrease the rate of cognitive decline.

 

Methylene Blue benefits

Research has shown that low-dose Methylene Blue supplementation causes memory-enhancing effects in both animals and humans. It basically functions as an anti-depressant, anti-aging formula that is helpful in diseases like dementia, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's.

Other effects of methylene blue supplementation include lowering blood pressure, improving cognition in young and healthy people, boosting mitochondrial function, anti-microbial properties, relieving anxiety, and anti-aging properties on the skin.

 

Methylene Blue Boosts Acetylcholine

Methylene Blue is an active inhibiter of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, specifically muscarinic acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a commonly used neurotransmitter in the brain as well as the spine. Methylene Blue makes sure it is more available in the brain.

 

Methylene Blue Is An Antidepressant

Methylene Blue is also a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). However, it inhibits MAO-A more than MAO-B. But some trials have discovered that it inhibits both at large doses. This property makes it useful in the treatment of psychiatric conditions like Bipolar Disorder and Methylene Blue.

A study conducted in 1987 showed that 15 mg per day of Methylene Blue was a powerful antidepressant in patients that suffered from severe depression.

Another study with 31 Bipolar Disorder trail subjects compared 300 mg per day of Methylene Blue with 15 mg per day. These patients were concurrently on lithium treatment. Lithium is an antipsychotic medication commonly used in the treatment of Bipolar disorder. The results of the study showed that the 300 mg dose of Methylene Blue was a “useful addition to lithium in the long-term treatment of manic-depressive psychosis”. Which can be one of the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. It was also noted that patients were significantly less depressed.

 

Methylene Blue resists Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in dementia because of a buildup in Taue proteins. Some clinical studies have shown that Methylene Blue is a potent inhibitor of Tau protein buildup. This is why it is under consideration for being listed as a drug to treat Alzheimer's Disease.

Here are some of the ways that Methylene Blue is linked with treating Alzheimer's symptoms:

• Methylene blue is an inhibitory action on the cGMP pathway, this pathway is closely related to the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
• Methylene blue allows neurons to actively resist the formation of tau protein plaques as well as the neurofibrillary tangle.
• Methylene enhances cellular metabolism and increases cerebral perfusion.
• Methylene Blue mediates certain chemical pathways, namely cholinergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic, which play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Consequently, Methylene Blue not prevents the disease from occurring but also delays the effect after the diagnosis of Alzheimer's is made. This is a significant milestone in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease since previously all the treatments were only focused on the prevention of the disease.

 

Methylene Blue Is Anti-Aging

Some reliable studies have proven that the Nootropic compound- Methylene Blue does in fact have effective antiaging properties. Some of those properties are listed below:

• As previously mentioned, Methylene Blue is an active participator in the electron transfer chain, compounds that can carry electrons from one compound to another are also known as redox agents. This transfer or cycling of electrons is what helps it block oxidant production in the mitochondria. An enzyme involved in this reaction is called Mitochondrial complex IV and it is the last enzyme in the electron transport chain within the mitochondria. Methylene blue increases the production of this complex by 30%, which means 30% more energy.
• Methylene Blue also increases heme synthesis. Heme is a compound containing iron which is vital for the transport of oxygen from one place to another inside the body. Heme is even used during DNA synthesis. Both of these processes are vital for the healthy turnover of skin cells.
• Another property of Methylene Blue includes reversing premature senescence caused by H2O2 or cadmium. Senescence is basically biological aging or the gradual deterioration of cellular function. It triggers the shortening of DNA in response to oxidative species like the ones mentioned above.

 

Methylene Blue Improves Memory

Studies carried out on animals have proven that a low dose of methylene blue improves contextual memory. Contextual memory is the term given to the type of memory used to consciously recall a source or circumstance for a specific reason.

Further studies showed that methylene blue is even helpful in memory retention. This means how efficiently you can remember a certain thing or event. This study was conducted on rats. The reason for the increased memory retention was an increase in metabolic energy which is an aforementioned quality of methylene blue. Furthermore, this increase in metabolic energy was useful in areas of the brain that required more energy during discrimination learning which is what distinguished a high-quality memory from a low-quality one. These results occurred from repeated post-training supplementation.

 

Methylene Blue is a Redox Agent

A redox agent is any compound or element that has the ability to lose and gain electrons. Since methylene Blur acts as an electron donor it can be classified as a redox agent, but more specifically an antioxidant. This property allows it to treat diseases like methemoglobinemia. Its electron losing property allows it to turn the harmful form of hemoglobin- methemoglobin, back into hemoglobin. Methemoglobin is harmful because it loses its ability to carry oxygen, only hemoglobin can carry oxygen which is vital for the functioning of all the cells in our body.

 

Methylene Blue potently Inhibits Nitric Oxide

Methylene blue inhibits nitric oxide primarily in four ways:

• Displaces the nitric oxide within the mitochondria-when methylene blue attaches to a certain enzyme it allows the displacement of nitric oxide and makes room for the attachment of carbon dioxide.
• Methylene blue acts as a redox agent- the antioxidant properties of methylene blue allow it to absorb the free radicals produced by nitric oxide because of its rapid degradation. Through this action, methylene blue avoids further oxidative stress on the cell.
• Inhibits nitric oxide synthase- methylene blue is also linked to directly inhibiting the production of nitric oxide by inhibiting the enzyme nitric oxide synthase, which is directly involved in the production of nitric oxide.
• It is a monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI)- Methylene blue also inhibits the production of nitric oxide through an alternative pathway. In this pathway the enzyme monamine oxidase breaks down neurotransmitters, which also produces nitric oxide, methylene blue inhibits this enzyme consequently decreasing the production of nitric oxide and even contributing to an antidepressant effect as it increases the availability of neurotransmitters through this action.

 

Methylene Blue exhibits An Antibacterial Effect

Methylene Blue has also been known for its anti-bacterial properties since its discovery. Methylene blue was also used effectively as an antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial agent before prescription antimicrobials became widely available in the 1950s. Initially, it was used in the treatment of malaria but nowadays its usually used as an alternative treatment for infections of the gut or urine. It’s even used to keep the ecosystem of fish tanks under control with its antifungal properties. However, to exert this antibacterial property in humans it has to be given in an injectable form rather than an oral form, especially when combined with certain frequencies of light.

 

How Does Methylene Blue Feel?

Even though methylene blue is a nootropic it is unlikely that it will feel different from any other supplementation you have taken before. However, after some time you may start to notice its effects on your brain. The most commonly experienced effect is termed “after the fact learning”. This is meant to feel like your brain automatically sorts through material from your daily life in such an order that you have easy access to it later. Basically, it gives you better recall power.

Furthermore, people taking methylene blue have stated that they tend to forget about negative associations with great ease and only retain positive memories. These people have also said that through this effect they have overcome their social anxiety. Consequently, it has given them a new youth, a new vigor. They tend to feel more focused and confident too.

Additionally, a healthy lifestyle was easier to maintain as Methylene Blue takers have also reported that workouts were easier due to having more energy which is exactly the effect methylene blue has on the powerhouse of the cell- the mitochondria.

 

Methylene Blue Clinical Research

Methylene Blue has been around for more than a century, which is why it has been the topic of vast research. However, it was only in the last couple of decades that scientists truly figured out how exactly methylene blue alters brain tissue, all the way down to the molecular level in the mitochondria.

Although the main reason behind the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease is said to be an accumulation of Tau protein plaques, a study published in 2017 investigated other components that could possibly be linked to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Namely, it investigated the energy-making system in the neuronal cells. This process is called glycosylation and occurs in the mitochondria of all cells. It produces energy as a result of respiration. This study found that as humans age mitochondrial metabolism in the normal tissue also deteriorates. This results in an overall decrease in the energy molecules produced. This decrease in energy is linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and even Parkinson’s.

Another study conducted at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute has found a simple solution to this problem. As mentioned before, the decline in energy production is linked to the development of Alzheimer’s. Specifically, the decrease of complex IV. This is where methylene blue comes in. Methylene blue actively slows and even prevents the decline of mitochondrial function by increasing the availability of a compound known as complex IV. Consequently, this increases oxygen consumption and even reverses premature cell death.

 

Methylene Blue Improves Memory

Methylene Blue has proven to be a potent enhancer of memory. A clinical trial was conducted with 26 healthy volunteers and the purpose was to determine the effect of methylene blue on memory and sustained attention. The results of the study showed that only a single low dose of this compound was needed to increase short-term memory power. It specifically acted on the part of the brain responsible for sensory and visual processing.

Timothy Duong, PhD, the study author concluded Methylene Blue showed promise "in healthy aging, cognitive impairment, dementia and other conditions that might benefit from drug-induced memory enhancement".

Furthermore, another study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry sought to test the effect of methylene blue on long-term memory.  Specifically, its effect on fear extinction and contextual memory. This was put to test by placing participants of the trial in a dark room after giving them a dose or placebo of methylene blue. The dark room was supposed to help augment their personal fears. The results of this study suggested that after a month of methylene e blue doses participants experienced a decrease in fear retention. Therefore, the study authors concluded, “Methylene Blue enhances memory and the retention of fear extinction”.

 

Methylene Blue helps with Bipolar Disorder

The use of methylene blue in the treatment of psychiatric conditions has been around since the early 1950s. Now we have evergrowing evidence that methylene blue has a positive effect on a well-known psychiatric condition called Bipolar Disorder. However, this study which was conducted at  Dalhousie University in Halifax has only used methylene blue in concurrence with another anti-psychotic medicine called Lamotrigine. In this study subjects with a known case of Bipolar Disorder were given lamotrigine (Lamictal®) along with daily supplementation of either 195 mg or 15 mg of Methylene Blue. At the end of the study, the results concluded that the patients receiving a higher dose of methylene blue along with Lamotrigine had reduced depression and anxiety-induced symptoms. The patients believe it was so effective that they chose to carry on with the methylene blue supplementation even after the trial was over.

 

Methylene Blue nootropic dosage

Although recommended dosages differ from guideline to guideline, most agree on 0.5 – 4 mg/kg. So a 90 kg (200 lb.) body weight translates to 45 – 360 mg of Methylene Blue. This was deduced after a significant amount of animal and human trials.

However, your physician may recommend that you start at the lowest dose of 0.5 mg/kg and see which dosage suits you after seeing best and how your body and mind react to it.

In case you still want to start at high doses to amplify the effects, we recommend a dose of 10mg daily. This should be split up between the morning and night. A good route to consume it would be to take it with juice or milk.

Methylene Blue is a water-soluble compound which means when taken orally, you don’t need to take the supplement in relation to a meal which is a contrast compared to other Nootropics. Methylene blue also has a half-life of about 5 hours which is why it's okay to take up to two doses a day

One thing to keep in mind whilst taking this supplement is that it may turn your urine blue, but it is nothing to worry about as it only happens if your daily dosage exceeds 500 mcg. But if it still bothers you, a hack to avoid blue urine is to take Methylene Blue with Ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C.

Methylene blue supplementations are usually oral however it does come in an injectable form as well. But this can only be prescribed by a physician and is usually only used to treat diseases like malaria or as a part of a chemotherapy regime. . Alternatively, methylene blue can be taken in many forms including orally dissolved in liquid, powder in a capsule and topically applied on your skin.

 

Methylene Blue Side Effects

The side effects of Methylene blue are dose-dependent. This is because it comes under the category that causes hormetic dose-response. This means that at low doses the drug is effective but at high doses, it may be harmful. In the case of methylene blue high doses can cause the compound to steal electrons from the electron transport chain causing a disruption in the fragile redox balance in the mitochondria. It basically means that it turns into a pro-oxidant instead of an antioxidant.

When taken at a high dose the symptoms include stomach pain, chest pain, dizziness, headache, sweating, confusion, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, accelerated heartbeat, tremor, skin turning blue, urine turning blue or green, reduction of red blood cells, or jaundice (only reported in infants).

Other side effects can result from chemical impurities that are sometimes mixed with methylene blue supplements. These can include heavy metals like arsenic, aluminium, cadmium, mercury, and lead. However, it is important to understand that at low doses these contaminants are non-problematic but at high doses, they can accumulate within body cells causing a variety of serious symptoms.

At high doses, Methylene Blue is even listed as drug interaction with medications like using antidepressants or antianxiety medications that affect dopamine or serotonin. This is due to the fact that it’s a Monoamine Oxidase (MAOI) inhibitor. Taking methylene blue with such medications(citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, zimelidine, bupropion, buspirone, clomipramine, mirtazapine, and venlafaxine.)cause serious symptoms like a hypertensive crisis or Serotonin Syndrome.

Do not use Methylene Blue if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.