With spinal injuries and head injuries it is often the secondary damage to the neurons that causes big problems especially when that swelling and inflammation is in the spinal cord or the brain. The worst damage shows up several hours to many days later. Now, scientists in Rochester, New York, have discovered a simple way to stop a lot of this secondary damage in its tracks…at least in mice by using that old familiar blue food dye that gives M&Ms, blue bubble gum and blue raspberry popsicles their color. Patients with spinal injuries could escape with vastly reduced loss of function if this works in people but they’ll turn bright blue in the process.

Much secondary damage is caused by adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This chemical can go into overkill with trauma and cause neurons to fire until they burn out and die leaving inflammation and sludge to trip up the neurons behind them causing an unhealthy destructive cycle. With spinal trauma, the area around the injury is flooded with ATP, which causes otherwise healthy neurons to fire out of control until they die of exhaustion. It also increases the swelling around the wound. Swelling around an injury site is a positive healing factor in many parts of the body, but because the spinal cord is encased in a narrow column blood supply gets cut off and cells die. But a study published in July 28′s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) seems to show that it’s possible to block the actions of ATP and greatly reduce the severity and permanence of spinal injuries – using the same type of food dye that gives blue M&Ms their color, a food dye called Brilliant Blue G, or BBG.

BBG can be administered intravenously with no need to inject directly into the injury site. It has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which then gives it access to the spinal cord. BBG binds to the same neuroreceptor (P2X7) as the ATP binds to but it has a stronger affinity for the receptor than ATP has and gets there first so it effectively blocks the action of the ATP at the injury site.
Only one problem….patients turn blue ! It is temporary and is sure better than having a serious injury. You wear the injury but the blue die wears off…..All I can say is color me blue for spinal injury.

See the full method of the experiments here (PDF). BBG has been a food dye approved by the FDA since the 1920s but would this be considered off label use like the cholesterol lowering of Cheerios cereal. While all the rats were severely injured, the BBG-injected rats showed a greatly improved ability to support their bodyweight on their hind legs, control their bladders, and even walk in some cases. The blue skin coloring eventually faded as well, and no side effects were noted.

Human testing would be required before BBG can be moved forward into clinical use. It would be a terrific tool for ambulance drivers and paramedics. They could begin treatment right at the site of the incident, It is cheap and easy, even hospitals can use the blue stuff as soon as they get the patient hooked up and ready to go.

The kids must have known best when they told me blue ice cream was good for me …As for me…I will stock up on blue Gatorade and drink it down just in case it could make a difference!

By Amy Price PhD

There is some information on the internet declaring Alzheimers is more common in people who take NSAIDS. I have watched people do things like take vicodin instead of an antiinflammatory or discontinue baby aspirin therapy suggested by a cardiologist to deal with sticky platelets. Some will not take an antiinflammatory because bone fractures don’t heal as well if one is simultaneously taking this class of medication.

Getting drug addicted,setting up the CNS for chronic pain sensitivity by not treating inflammation,or letting excess platelet aggregation continue doesn’t help cognition either and in may ultimately set you up for the very condition you are trying to avoid.

There is research reporting specific use of antiinflammatory agents may reduce Alzheimers. It could be chronic pain and inflammation that aggravate loss of cognition rather than the NSAIDS taken to alleviate the symptoms.

There are many cardiac patients who took part in a Canadian study 25 years ago. They were encouraged to take a baby aspirin, vitamin C, and calcium buffered with vitamins K and D rather than be placed on beta blockers and more heavy duty cardiac meds. For many of these individuals this regimen solved the problem.

Drug addiction doesn’t always come from illegal street drugs. There are multitudes who became addicted just trying to stop the long term pain. These drugs work by altering nerve and brain messengers and overtime this leads to imbalance in the way the brain works.
As for the bones? Studies show that in eostrogen deficient or aged persons aspirin use may protect bone density. Research also shows fracture healing can be slowed by antiinflammatory use but this effect is temporary and if you stop taking them the fracture will heal at a normal rate.

In conclusion it is all about balance…