This rat (shown pre-treatment) had its spinal cord injured while under anesthesia (a weight was dropped on its back) and then recovered its ability to take clumsy steps 42 days after having been given a derivative of a common blue food coloring, according to a study published July 27, 2009, by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The therapeutic dye is still several years away from reaching emergency rooms. In the meantime, patients with spinal cord injuries might want to drink blue Gatorade for its possible healing benefits, Nedergaard said. (No other dyes are known to have the same effect.)

A rat's foot and tail-and the skin under its fur-are turned blue by a derivative of a food coloring.

If administered within four hours after a spinal cord injury in rats, Brilliant Blue G dye prevents inflammation, thereby staving off permanent paralysis, a July 2009 study says.

The rat also enjoyed improved bladder control, which is a "big deal" for humans with spinal cord injuries. "Anything you can get is helpful," study co-author Nedergaard added.