Is your Blood actually Blue?

Have you ever heard, "Your blood isn't actually red, it's only red once it hits oxygen."?

Well this is something I remember way back to my childhood, and I've never actually looked it up to answer it.

Well, Healthline spells it out pretty clearly here:

"Your blood is actually red. The blue hue of your veins has more to do with how your eyes absorb and see the color than the blood itself."

Well, there you have it, simple as that. Your blood is in-fact red, but only looks blue when it's running through your veins. But, oxygen does play a role in just how red your blood is.

The arteries carry blood away from the heart (bright red oxygen-rich blood) and flow through the body's tissues. The veins take blood (darker oxygen-poor blood) back to the heart.

Arteries (Red) Veins (Blue)

When blood is pumped, from the heart filled with oxygen, it is bright red! But, as the blood flows through the body is and is dispersed through tissues, the blood starts to look darker.

So, when blood is returning to the heart it tends to look darker, but not necessarily blue.