History and medical uses

Methylene blue is one of the most misunderstood compounds in biohacking, yet it can upgrade your energy, mood, memory, and cellular resilience when you use it the right way. We are back again with another solo masterclass, and this one breaks down how to use methylene blue as a precision tool for brain optimization, longevity, and human performance while avoiding the dosing mistakes that create jitteriness, sleep disruption, or dangerous interactions. 

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: 

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR 

Host Dave Asprey guides you through more than a century of research on methylene blue. He has been hacking this compound since the early 2000s and brings deep insight into mitochondria, neuroplasticity, metabolism, supplements, fasting, red light, ketosis, nootropics, and functional medicine. You will learn how methylene blue works inside the cell, how it improves electron transport, and why it appears in neurology, psychiatry, and anti aging research at the same time. This episode shows you how to test your own dose, how to stack it with light and ketosis for maximum effect, and how to avoid serotonin syndrome or sleep disruption. 

Methylene blue also touches nearly every major system that biohackers care about, which is why this solo masterclass shows you how it interacts with mitochondria, neuroplasticity, metabolism, sleep optimization, and long term anti aging pathways. You will hear how it influences redox balance, ATP production, brain optimization, and stress resilience, and how it behaves when combined with ketosis, fasting, creatine, NAD boosters, red light therapy, or other nootropics. Host Dave Asprey explains why methylene blue pairs well with certain supplements but clashes with psychedelics or SSRI medications, how it fits into functional medicine protocols for mitochondrial repair, and how to use data and wearable tracking to dial in your response. This episode gives you a complete framework to evaluate whether methylene blue belongs in your personal longevity strategy and how to use it with precision instead of guesswork. 

You’ll Learn: 

• Why methylene blue acts like mitochondrial jumper cables and when it improves energy and mood 

• The exact signs that your dose is too strong, too weak, or in the Goldilocks zone 

• How methylene blue interacts with neuroplasticity, memory circuits, and cognitive resilience 

• Why psychedelics, SSRIs, and MAO inhibitors can create dangerous serotonin interactions 

• How to pair methylene blue with red light therapy, ketosis, creatine, fasting, or NAD boosters 

• The link between mitochondrial health, fertility, libido, and long term anti aging strategies 

• How to track sleep optimization, HRV, and performance signals to dial in your personal protocol 

• The difference between aquarium grade dye and pharmaceutical grade formulations 

• Why genetic testing for G6PD deficiency is essential before higher dose experimentation 

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. 

New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. 

Keywords: methylene blue dosing, mitochondrial electron transport, Complex IV cytochrome c oxidase, redox cycling, MAO inhibition, serotonin syndrome risk, G6PD deficiency caution, neuroplasticity enhancement, dendritic spine density, mitochondrial stress adaptation, red light therapy stacking, cognitive performance optimization, ketone supported ATP production, nitric oxide independent focus boost, mitochondrial bottleneck repair, pharmaceutical grade methylene blue, sleep disruption signals, biohacking fertility support, oxidative stress buffering, functional medicine mitochondria repair 

Thank you to our sponsors! 

-BrainTap | Go to http://braintap.com/dave to get $100 off the BrainTap Power Bundle. 

-fatty15 | Go to https://fatty15.com/dave and save an extra $15 when you subscribe with code DAVE. 

-Zbiotics | Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAVE for 15% off your first order. 

Resources:  

• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. 

• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15  

• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)  

• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)  

• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com  

• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated 

• Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com  

• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com  

• 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com  

Timestamps: 

0:00 — Trailer 

1:25 — Introduction 

4:51 — History of methylene blue 

7:38 — How methylene blue works 

14:05 — Safety 

17:53 — Dosing and timing guidelines 

20:41 — Combining with red light therapy 

22:41 — Quality and sourcing 

23:17 — Dosing protocols 

25:24 — Longevity and fertility effects 

29:24 — Stacking options 

32:10 — Common questions and FAQs 

33:40 — Future research and wrap up 

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