A tiny amount of methylene blue helps heart cells make energy better, but too much actually hurts them — it’s a classic case of 'less is more'.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Methylene blue improves mitochondrial respiration and decreases oxidative stress in a substrate-dependent manner in diabetic rat hearts.

Cohort Study

Animal

2017 Nov

At a very low dose, methylene blue helps heart mitochondria work better, which matches the claim — higher doses might hurt, but this study only tested the good low dose and found it works.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Methylene blue improves mitochondrial respiration and decreases oxidative stress in a substrate-dependent manner in diabetic rat hearts.

Score: 10

DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2017-0074

Similar Assertions

Adding a tiny amount of methylene blue to heart cell power plants makes them use oxygen more efficiently, no matter what fuel they're burning.

86%

Methylene blue makes heart cell power plants produce more harmful molecules when using one fuel (glutamate/malate), but less when using another (succinate), showing its effect depends on what the cell is burning.

80%

Methylene blue helps brain cells use oxygen more efficiently to make energy after they’ve been starved.

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The more methylene blue you add, the more hydrogen peroxide the mitochondria make—up to 25 times more at the highest dose tested.

75%

Adding methylene blue doesn’t change how well heart cell power plants can hold onto calcium, meaning it doesn’t protect against the pore that can cause cell death under stress.

74%