Methylene Blue (MB) Reverses Fatty Liver Disease

[jandrade1997]

Should we be concerned about methylene blue activating sirt1?

 

[Malris]

I am taking 600mg caffeine (2-3 times a day) with 1mg MB, not the other way around

Haidut,

I get sweaty with 2 drops of Oxidal, but it's doing something weird: LOWERING my BP. By as much as 15 points, from a max of 145/95 to about 130/82. I think that this is an indication that my liver is not handling sugars well, and I am guessing that it is because of NAFLD...so, I'm reviving this old thread. Sorry about that. But at least I'm right on topic!

The study that you reference in the original post says HED of 0.2-0.6mg/kg. For me, that's a dose of 23-70mg, which seems extreme. I can't very well put 60-175 drops of Oxidal on my skin every day! I guess I could get a 1% MB solution and take it orally...

Does anyone have a recommendation? Is oral supplementation of MB ok? Any preferred brands?

 

[haidut]

Haidut,

I get sweaty with 2 drops of Oxidal, but it's doing something weird: LOWERING my BP. By as much as 15 points, from a max of 145/95 to about 130/82. I think that this is an indication that my liver is not handling sugars well, and I am guessing that it is because of NAFLD...so, I'm reviving this old thread. Sorry about that. But at least I'm right on topic!

The study that you reference in the original post says HED of 0.2-0.6mg/kg. For me, that's a dose of 23-70mg, which seems extreme. I can't very well put 60-175 drops of Oxidal on my skin every day! I guess I could get a 1% MB solution and take it orally...

Does anyone have a recommendation? Is oral supplementation of MB ok? Any preferred brands?

Actually, if it is lowering the BP that would be positive in my experience. It probably shows the liver is working better with MB than without it. One of the causes of high BP is liver dysfunction, which leads to glucose homeostasis issues, and thus high cortisol and high BP.
I don't think the high doses are needed because MB has been shown to build up in tissues when used over time. So, a combination of 1mg-2mg MB daily with 250mg - 500mg niacinamide (which has also been shown to help NAFLD) should achieve the same effects as the higher doses MB.

 

[Broken man]

This study was in mice, but the results were so positive that the authors are working in setting up a clinical trial of methylene blue for the treatment of fatty liver disease - a condition that afflicts approximately 40%-60% of the population in the USA. Many Peatarians also struggle with poor liver function and it slows down their recovery.

SIRT1 activation by methylene blue, a repurposed drug, leads to AMPK-mediated inhibition of steatosis and steatohepatitis - PubMed

"...In mice fed on a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, MB treatment inhibited excessive hepatic fat accumulation and steatohepatitis. The ability of MB to activate SIRT1 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and oxygen consumption and activates AMPK, contributing to anti-lipogenesis in the liver. Our results provide new information on the potential use of MB for the treatment of steatosis and steatohepatitis."


The human equivalent doses were 0.2mg/kg and 0.6mg/kg. The duration of the study was 4 weeks and methylene blue reversed the fatty liver parameters back to normal. Several things of note:

1. Both doses dramatically increased both NAD and NAD/NADH ratio. This may be the single most important marker of oxidative metabolism and overall health. You want as high of a ratio as possible and niacinamide is one of the few know methods to increase it. So, niacinamide and MB may be synergistic in this regard. The lower dose of MB increased NAD by a factor of 2 and the NAD/NADH ratio by a factor of 5. The higher dose increased NAD by a factor of 5 and the NAD/NADH ratio by a factor of 10. Most studies agree that it is the NAD/NADH ratio that matters and not so much the absolute levels but either way it looks like it is a win-win with MB with either dose.

2. The lower dose of MB was much more effective in stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis in the liver than the higher dose. On the other hand, the higher dose was much more effective in lowering triglycerides and other parameters of fatty liver than the lower dose. In addition, only the higher dose resulted in strong increase in oxygen consumption.

3. The low and high doses used in this study correspond very closely to the ones used in human studies in depression (15mg daily for 2 weeks) and Alzheimer Disease (60mg daily for 3 months). The lower dose seems to be better equipped at restoring activity of cytochrome C oxidase and stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis, which is what was proposed as the beneficial mechanism of action in the study on depression. The higher dose had very good effects in Alzheimer's and this is probably due to the increased oxygen consumption in the brain. If Alzheimer's is a diabetes-like disease then it is probably a state of chronic brain hypoxia. Hence, the beneficial effects of MB in doses that can increase oxygen consumption. If depression is a disease of abnormal mitochondrial activity, but not yet reaching hypoxia levels, then that would explain the lower dose and its benefits.

Somebody asked before but without success, I see that the beneficial effects are mediated through SIRT activation and it was mentioned here on the forum that SIRT should be bad..... why is that? Thank you.

 

[ddjd]

Depends on the person and how much carbs are ingested as well. It also depends on how well you utilize the protein. Ammonia does not really make urine frothy. Ray says it is excessive stress hormones that make urine frothy, and proteinuria can make it frothy too.

Haidut any idea why iodine (I use Lugols drops) completely stops my frothy urine problem. Like completely goes away....

 

[NewACC]

Lol, that's correct. The MB we use for Oxidal is USP-quality and is approved for human use.
Btw, great update Nick! I am glad MB is helping so much. The only thing I would add to that regimen is a little caffeine (as in Oxidal). Start with a lower dose caffeine (100mg) first and increase as needed.
WARNING: That "protocol" will cause uncoupling and will make you sweat buckets but it will also greatly add to that feeling of youth you describe and I have experienced myself. I personally get it from the 600mg caffeine doses I take a few times a day. Took me about a month to work up to that dose (1,500mg caffeine daily) but now I understand why all the animal studies use similar dose and why Peat himself takes more than 1,000mg caffeine daily. It makes you hot (literally) and young again and removes the need for any type of thyroid supplementation. I am even afraid to add aspirin now since caffeine by itself raises my temperatures so much...

Is it safe to use methylene blue from a pharmacy intended for treating the mouth and treating a sore throat? @haidut @Hans