As the founder of The Biohacker, a Mumbai-based wellness centre with new-age health therapies, Lalit Dharmani is often the guinea pig for testing new procedures. His recent therapy reel, inhaling methylene blue, made waves on Instagram. In the short video he can be seen describing it as the “cutting-edge biohack to enhance cognitive function, boost cellular energy and support brain health.” The centre’s Instagram feed shows many clients taking methylene blue intravenously in combination with a low-level laser therapy.
While Dharmani is promoting methylene blue's potential benefits in India, the dye already has a firm fan following around the world. From being mentioned on Joe Rogan’s podcast to being identified as the mysterious blue dye that America’s health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added to his glass on a recent flight, ‘the medicinal dye’ is making a splash amongst wellness enthusiasts. But what exactly is methylene blue?
“It is a salt with a variety of medical and practical uses. It’s primarily used to treat Methemoglobinemia, a rare blood disorder that impacts the ability of red blood cells to deliver oxygen,” explains Dr Dinesh Kumar, director of internal medicine, Fortis, Greater Noida. Over the last decade, the dye has been rebranded as a kind of mental stimulant. Many wellness influencers and amateur-neurochemists are calling it a nootropic—a substance that supposedly sharpens memory, and banishes the dreaded ‘brain fog’. But, the evidence of its potency is still murky.
A few clinical trials have attempted to find if the dye alleviates the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. In 2023, a review published in the Journal of Neurological Research, showed mixed results with no clear consensus on its effectiveness. Another experiment found that it altered functional connectivity between different parts of the brain.
Agreeing with it, Dr Aman Sheikh Basheer, co-founder of AI health startups, Natfirst and TruthIn, advocates its usage only in very low doses. “It has some mitochondrial-targeting properties. Though, few studies explore its use in neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and other mental health conditions, but these effects are not properly tested in large pools of healthy individuals.”
Dr Amlan Tapan Mohapatra, consultant neurologist at Manipal Hospital Bhubaneswar, cautions saying its unauthorised use may have adverse reactions on heart, gut and even the nervous system.
While Dharmani is promoting its many potential benefits in India. It’s also worth noting that the only methylene blue available in India is either pharmaceutical-grade, or industrial-grade. “These products are not regulated for ingestion and may contain toxins," says Dr Basheer.
Be cautious, the “medicinal dye” can literally make you feel blue.