Say What?

Blue M&M Dye Helps Spine Injuries

Minor drawback: Rats left with blue skin.

First gummy bears with vitamins, now this: The dye used in blue M&Ms can help fend off spinal-cord injury, scientists at the Rochester Medical Center in New York say in newly released findings. Those rats treated with Brilliant Blue G, as the dye is known, showed improved motor skills, and rats that did not receive injections of the dye did not regain the ability to walk after spinal-cord injuries. The downside? The treatment causes skin to turn bright blue, temporarily. Scientists say further tests in human clinical tries are needed but are optimistic that new treatments for acute spinal-cord injuries are in the future.