Methylene blue for energy and mitochondria: what the research actually shows

What did @mccallmcpherson actually say?

McCall McPherson says she has taken methylene blue daily since 2022, starting at three drops and working up to seventeen drops in water. She credits it with improving her energy, cognitive function, stamina, and productivity. She also claims an unexpected benefit: stronger, faster-growing nails. Her core argument is that methylene blue "works on a certain part of your mitochondrial function" and can help people with "compromised mitochondrial function" produce more ATP. She mentions having tested her DNA and found she has poor mitochondrial function, which she implies justifies her personal protocol. She is careful to say she started low and slow and does not frame this as a prescription for others, though she does name a specific product she links through her Amazon storefront.

Does the science back this up?

Partly. The mitochondrial mechanism she describes is real, but the leap from mechanism to meaningful clinical benefit in healthy or mildly fatigued adults is where the evidence gets thin. Do not confuse a plausible mechanism with proven efficacy.

Methylene blue is a legitimate pharmaceutical compound with over a century of medical use, primarily as a treatment for methemoglobinemia. Its mechanism as a mitochondrial electron carrier is well documented. It can donate electrons directly to cytochrome c in the electron transport chain, essentially acting as an alternative electron shuttle when the normal chain is impaired. This is real biochemistry, not influencer fiction.

However, most of the compelling data comes from in vitro studies, animal models, or small human trials in populations with actual pathology. A 2011 study by Rodriguez et al. in Neuropsychopharmacology showed cognitive benefits in older adults, but the sample was small. A 2016 study by Bharat et al. in Redox Biology confirmed mitochondrial protective effects largely in cellular models. The self-reported energy and cognitive benefits McPherson describes are plausible but not yet validated by robust randomized controlled trials in healthy adults. The nail growth claim has essentially no peer-reviewed backing at all.

What did they get wrong or right?

She gets the core mechanism roughly right and earns credit for telling viewers to start low and go slow. But several claims here deserve pushback.

• DNA testing for mitochondrial function: Consumer DNA tests do not reliably assess mitochondrial function. Tests like 23andMe identify certain mitochondrial haplogroups and a handful of known pathogenic variants, but they do not measure how well your mitochondria are actually working. Functional mitochondrial assessment requires specialized clinical testing, not a consumer kit. This claim is unverifiable and likely misleading.
• Nail growth: She acknowledges she did not take it for that reason, which is fair. But presenting it as a benefit without any mechanistic or clinical basis is anecdotal marketing, even if unintentional.
• "Increases energy production" as a blanket claim: This overstates what the evidence shows. Methylene blue may support mitochondrial efficiency in specific conditions of impairment, but it is not a universal ATP booster for everyone who takes it.
• What she got right: The staining warning is accurate and practical. Methylene blue absolutely will stain clothing, teeth, and urine. Starting at a low dose is consistent with how clinicians who use it off-label approach it.

What should you actually know?

Methylene blue is not a supplement. It is a drug, and that distinction matters more than most wellness creators acknowledge.

Methylene blue is FDA-approved as an injectable for methemoglobinemia. Oral use for cognitive or energy purposes is off-label. Oral products sold for "human consumption" exist in a gray regulatory zone, and quality control varies significantly between manufacturers. Contamination with heavy metals has been a documented issue with some sourced products.

There are also real drug interactions that are not trivial. Methylene blue is a potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor at higher doses and can cause serotonin syndrome when combined with SSRIs, SNRIs, or other serotonergic drugs. This interaction has been serious enough that the FDA issued a safety communication about it in 2011. If you take any antidepressant, this is not a minor footnote.

The dose she describes, seventeen drops, is impossible to evaluate without knowing the concentration of the solution, which she does not specify. Methylene blue solutions vary widely in concentration. Anyone considering this compound should involve a licensed clinician, not an Amazon storefront.