In a concerning new trend sweeping through wellness circles, social media influencers are promoting the consumption of methylene blue - a synthetic textile dye - despite serious health warnings from medical experts.
What is methylene blue and why are people drinking it?
The trend gained significant attention when anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr appeared in a viral video squirting blue liquid into a drinking glass. Though Kennedy hasn't confirmed the substance's identity, it was widely speculated to be methylene blue.
High-profile figures including podcast host Joe Rogan and longevity-focused venture capitalist Bryan Johnson have also reportedly taken the substance. Rogan mentioned on his podcast that "RFK Jr told me about it" weeks after Kennedy's video surfaced.
Methylene blue is primarily known as a synthetic textile dye valued for its strong binding properties to fabrics. Ironically, Kennedy has previously campaigned against artificial dyes in the US food industry.
The medical uses and dangers of methylene blue
First synthesised in the late 19th century, methylene blue appears as dark green powder and turns deep blue when dissolved in water. It became one of medicine's first fully synthetic drugs after being discovered to kill malaria parasites.
During the second world war, it served as an alternative antimalarial treatment when quinine supplies ran short. Dr Ian Musgrave, a molecular pharmacologist at the University of Adelaide, notes that "the troops weren't impressed as it turned their urine blue" - an effect still commonly reported today.
The World Health Organization classifies methylene blue as an essential medicine, primarily for treating methaemoglobinemia - a blood disorder where excess methaemoglobin prevents oxygen transport. Its redox properties enable it to restore haemoglobin to functional form through chemical reactions.
Despite its legitimate medical applications, poisons information centres across Australia have recorded significant increases in calls related to methylene blue ingestion. The Western Australia Poisons Information Centre received nine calls this year compared to just one annually over the previous two years.
Queensland and Victoria have both recorded eight calls this year - more than the previous four years combined. Carol Wylie, manager of the Queensland Poisons Information Centre, states that "most of these exposures appear to be linked to the ingestion of methylene blue for unapproved wellness purposes."
Weighing the claimed benefits against proven risks
Wellness advocates promote methylene blue for numerous unproven benefits including cognitive enhancement, increased energy, anti-ageing effects, stress relief and antioxidant properties. On platforms like TikTok, influencers display blue tongues while droppering the cobalt colourant directly into their mouths.
However, Dr Slade Matthews, a senior pharmacology lecturer at the University of Sydney, explains that many claims about brain-boosting supplements are deliberately vague and difficult to disprove. "To prove that a drug is going to make you smarter - it's just really difficult. That's why they go for claims like that," he notes.
The Victorian Poisons Centre explicitly states: "There is no current evidence that methylene blue improves health or brain function in healthy individuals."
While animal studies show potential memory improvement and prevention of degeneration in Alzheimer's-like conditions, Dr Musgrave points out it has "largely failed in human clinical trials for treatment of Alzheimer's disease." Similarly, despite promising tissue culture results, no human evidence supports anti-ageing claims.
The health risks, however, are well-documented. Consuming unregistered methylene blue can cause:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid heart rate
- Dizziness and confusion
- Skin discoloration
- Excessive sweating
- Changes in taste
- Pain in extremities
More seriously, the dye can interact dangerously with common antidepressants like SSRIs, potentially causing serotonin syndrome - a potentially fatal condition featuring muscle spasms, confusion and agitation.
Paradoxically, while methylene blue treats methaemoglobinemia at medical doses, high doses can actually cause the condition. Australia's medicines regulator issued a safety advisory in September noting increased importation and unregistered use.
Given the substantial evidence against its wellness benefits and the clear dangers of unapproved use, experts agree that influencers promoting methylene blue consumption are leading their followers toward potentially serious harm.
