Methylene Blue

 

Robert F Kennedy Jr appeared to mix a mysterious blue dye in his drink while traveling on an airplane, in footage that has left viewers baffled. The 72-year-old is seen on video administering droplets of the cobalt-blue liquid into what looks like a cup of water.

It is unclear where and when the video was filmed and the footage doesn't show the former Democrat consuming the concoction. But the clip was spreading widely on social media last night, leading to rife speculation about what it could be.

Some medical experts said the blue liquid was likely methylene blue, a man-made dye that has become popular in alternative medicine circles for its potential health benefits.

In a conversation between Joe Rogan and Mel Gibson, Gibson indicated that he and his friends were “drinking” methylene blue. Joe Rogan said the substance has “profound effects on your mitochondria,” to which Gibson replied in agreement: “This stuff works, man.”

Few men have defied the effects of Father Time better than the trio of Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson and RFK Jr., so it’s not surprising that methylene blue is gaining the attention of an expanding audience seeking to enhance cognitive function and mitochondrial health.

Early studies have shown promise for the drug in treating aging, dementia, Lyme disease and even cancer - though the research has been in animals or on human cells rather than in people.

Methylene blue is just now getting widespread attention, however, according to The New York Post:

In recent years, celebrities, wellness influencers and biohackers have touted methylene blue for several off-label uses, claiming it can boost energy levels and metabolism, enhance cognitive function and combat aging — though evidence remains limited.

Early research suggests that methylene blue may have antioxidant properties that help reduce toxic proteins in the brain, potentially aiding in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Some studies also indicate that the drug may help delay skin aging by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin, reducing cellular damage and promoting wound healing.

Mel Gibson claimed three of his friends were cleared of their stage four cancer after taking a supplement regimen that included methylene blue, though those claims were widely criticized as misleading by the medical community. Some studies have even suggested methylene blue could raise the risk of cancer in higher doses.

What is Methylene Blue?

First used in the 1800s as a textile dye, visionary physician Paul Ehrlich discovered methylene blue’s antimicrobial properties against malaria—making this the first synthetic drug in modern medicine. Today, this century-old compound is FDA-approved for methemoglobinemia (a condition in which the blood can’t carry oxygen properly) but has garnered renewed interest for its off-label applications, particularly in enhancing mitochondrial function, combating neurodegenerative diseases, and as adjunct treatment of long COVID.

How methylene blue works and its “off-label” uses:

1. Energy Backup: Methylene blue acts like a “backup generator” for your cells’ energy factories (mitochondria). When part of the energy production line (specifically “Complex I”) breaks down—due to toxins, disease, or aging—methylene blue moves electrons directly to later stages of the energy-making process, allowing cells to keep producing energy (ATP) even when parts of the system are damaged.

   Your mitochondria are essentially a series of pumps across a membrane that use electrons to pump protons from one side of the membrane to the other. Once you get an accumulation of protons on one side of the membrane, the natural process of wanting to re-equalize pushes the protons back to the other side of the membrane. The place that they can do this is across an enzyme called ATP synthase which creates ATP.

   ATP is the fundamental unit of energy in your body and in the Krebs Cycle, everything you eat feeds into this electron transport chain to create this gradient.

   As you get older, some of these enzymes dysfunction, especially as reactive oxygen species come in. Oxidants will actually damage some of the enzymes in this process. Poisons can also act on them. Cyanide, for example, makes it such that the electrons get sequestered and can't function in the electron transport chain.

   This is where methylene blue comes in and actually shepherds those electrons across, bypassing the broken parts of the chain, getting the protons pumping back into that inner membrane space so they can create the gradient again.

   This is key for poisoning, but also for just the natural aging process. Methylene blue can actually create that shunt, which turns your energy levels back on.

2. Oxidative Stress Reduction: It acts like a molecular sponge, soaking up harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage cells. By neutralizing these destructive molecules, it reduces oxidative stress—a key contributor to aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s. It also blocks caspase-6, an enzyme that drives brain inflammation and kills neurons in Alzheimer’s patients. Think of it as a two-in-one protector: it calms oxidative damage while stopping the enzyme that fuels brain cell death.

Promising Off-Label Applications:

• Neurodegenerative diseases: Low doses enhance cerebral metabolism, improving outcomes in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s models. It also reduces swelling in traumatic brain injury victims.

• Chronic fatigue and Long COVID: Due to its ability to reduce oxidative stress and promote mitochondrial function, methylene blue shows promise in relieving long COVID symptoms.

• Septic shock and vasoplegic syndrome: By inhibiting nitric oxide synthase, it restores vascular tone.

• Malaria adjunct therapy: It disrupts Plasmodium metabolism, reducing parasitemia.

Methylene blue was used to treat malaria in 1891. Malaria parasites are thought to feed on red blood cells and sap them of hemoglobin, which helps transport oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.

Methylene blue has been shown to convert iron and restore hemoglobin.

Nowadays, methylene blue is FDA approved to treat methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder affecting less than 100 Americans per year that interferes with the blood's ability to transport hemoglobin. It's typically given intravenously.

However, it has also been touted for several off-label uses, particularly among biohackers to combat aging.

Dr Morse wrote on X: 'Personally for me it's my "limitless pill." 'It works amazing to help with brain fog, energy optimization, anti-aging, concussions, Alzheimer’s/Parkinson’s, mold/mycotoxin, Lyme and many more.'

Recent research, for example, has shown methylene blue may have antioxidant properties that reduce the amount of toxic proteins in the brain that cause dementia. Methylene blue has also shown potential as a 'photosensitizer,' or a drug used in light therapies to kill cancer cells. One 2017 study also suggested methylene blue has antioxidants that help the skin retain moisture, protecting it against signs of aging, wounds, and UV damage from sun exposure. But other recent studies have shown methylene blue could be more likely to cause cancer when taken at high doses. According to Cleveland Clinic, common side effects include blue urine, nausea, vomiting, skin discoloration, dizziness, and headache. More research is needed to confirm how effective the supplement is.

Taken in combination with Urolithin A, which promotes healthier aging by activating mitophagy, helping the body to recycle and rebuild mitochondria,

from sharper thinking to stronger cells, Methylene Blue enhances how your brain and body perform by enhancing mental clarity and focus, supporting blood flow, and increasing ATP production.

from dailymail.co.uk on February 6, 2025 and thelibertydaily.com on May 2, 2025