Blue M&M Dye and Spinal Research

NEW YORK – Medical News – What is your favourite M&M’s colour? While that might sound like a strange question, especially if you are looking for solutions for spinal cord injuries, it is not.

There is something, apparently, according to research from the University of Rochester about the compound Brilliant Blue G that is used in blue peanut M&M candy.

The BBG according to findings from the research, blocks a chemical that kills healthy spinal cord cells around damaged areas in spinal injuries.

That is, according to medical experts, an event that often causes more irreversible damage than the original injury.

BBG not only reduced the size of the lesion but also improved the recovery of motor skills, tests on laboratory rats demonstrated.

The test subjects which were treated with BBG were later able to walk, although with a limp. Rats that did not receive the BBG solution never regained the ability to walk.

On the downside, the treatment causes the skin to temporarily turn bright blue and BBG needs to be injected soon after the trauma. The test injections were given within 15 minutes.

The results can not, sadly for fans of M&Ms be found by eating large amounts of their favourite candy.

The new findings by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York build on work reported five years ago by the same team.