Nutrition supplements like Basis by Elysium are targeted at individuals who value good health. This product is also one that aims to help people age gracefully. It has received significant attention in popular media since its advent, both for good and controversial reasons.
Perhaps, you desire to improve your health and slow aging and someone suggested trying Basis by Elysium. This comprehensive review should help you assess whether this supplement will make for a good purchase.
What is Basis by Elysium?
Basis is a supplement that targets the root or determinants of health and aging. It works at the cellular level to address changes that can potentially produce undesirable outcomes. It is a product of Elysium Health Inc., a company that appears to take much interest in science.
Why target cells? These are the smallest units of life and, as such, the quality of health and life, depends a lot on them. They have different components, including the nucleus and mitochondria, which are crucial for efficient cell functioning and good health.
However, for the cells and its components to work at their best, certain natural compounds are necessary. Among these are NAD+ and sirtuins. The levels and efficiency of these drops as people get older – this is what Basis seeks to address.
The supplement helps to improve the amount of NAD+ and activity of sirtuins in the body. As a result, it can promote DNA repair and help moderate aging. It also improves quality of sleep and cognitive function, among other benefits.
How Exactly Does NAD+ and Sirtuins Help?
NAD+ is an oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It is a co-enzyme that is present in all living cells. Your body can make it from vitamin B3 and it plays key role in numerous metabolic processes in the cell. It is particularly known to boost the efficiency of the cell energy generating machine, the mitochondria.
Sirtuins are crucial for maintaining the health of DNA and are vital for graceful aging. They regulate our genes’ ability to control how the body responds to stress and nutrition issues. This class of proteins depends on NAD+ to perform optimally.
The problem now is the decline in NAD+ levels as people age. This, of course, reduces the efficacy of sirtuins in promoting good health and checking aging.
Basis Ingredients
A good measure of how well a supplement could work is the quality of its ingredients. Basis by Elysium boasts two active ingredients, which are clinically proven. These are:
- Nicotinamide riboside (NR) – 250 mg
- Pterostilbene – 50 mg
NR, first made commercially available by ChromaDex, is a NAD+ precursor. The compound converts into the coenzyme in the body, thereby increasing its levels.
Several studies have been done showing that NR can indeed help to increase NAD+ levels. Evidence from preclinical trials suggests that this improvement can lead to increased metabolic efficiency and boost in overall health.
Present in some berries, pterostilbene is a polyphenol, a potent one at that. It boasts impressive bioavailability, meaning your body is able to absorb it more easily. Research suggests that it activates sirtuins, just like calorie restriction, thus improving metabolism and overall health.
Elysium Health claims the ingredients in Basis exceed FDA recommendations for purity and safety. According to it, the supplement contains no animal products, artificial flavors or colors, nuts, or gluten.
Backed by Team of Scientists
One of the selling points of Basis by Elysium is the company’s “Scientific Advisory Board.” This features leading scientists in different fields, among who are Nobel Laureates. The company says these individuals provide it scientific direction. They do not endorse particular products, but provide advice on product identification and development based on research.
The team includes eight scientists who have won Nobel Prize in areas of research, such as neuroscience and biochemistry. Among these Nobel Laureates are Eric Kandel, Thomas Sudhof, Jack Szostak, Aaron Ciechanover, and Martin Karplus.
The advisory board also has “Science and Medicine Pioneers” in different fields, including gut health, genomics, and cardiology. They include Carolyn Bertozzi, Martin Blaser, Jim Kirkland, and George M. Church.
Professor Leonard “Lenny” Guarente is Elysium’s chief scientist. He also heads the Glenn Lab for the Science of Aging at MIT. He has reportedly been into aging research for more than 35 years.
Clinically Proven
It turns out Basis by Elysium doesn’t just rely on generic research. The supplement was the focus of a clinical trial on its efficacy in humans. The double blind, placebo controlled study, which lasted eight weeks, had 120 healthy adults aged 60 to 80 years as subjects.
Elysium Health claims this was the first repeat-dose trial involving the use of NR. It was also the first to try a combo of NR and pterostilbene in humans.
The researchers reported 40 percent increase in NAD+ levels, on average, in participants who took the recommended dose of the supplement at four weeks. These individuals were said to successfully maintain the improvement for the duration of the trial.
Findings from the study suggest that NR may indeed increase NAD+ levels. The trial is an important first step in better understanding how the supplement may support good health.
Who is Elysium Basis Best For?
Elysium Health recommends Basis for use by adults of all ages. This is not really surprising given the target users are those who typically experience low NAD+ levels and sirtuin issues.
The suggestion is to use two capsules of the supplement per day. You can take on an empty stomach or with food. The company advises long-term use of the product.
Does it Work?
It was not surprising to find Elysium Health has a “Testimonials” section on its website for feedbacks from users who experienced improvement from using Basis. But are those reviews enough? Can you really rely on them to conclude the supplement works? Probably not.
As with most other anti aging supplements out there, you cannot expect everyone to report that this one worked for them. You should expect then to find people who say it works and those who say it doesn’t. Your expectation, as regards results, will determine which side you will be on.
To Elysium Health’s credit, it states that this product is not focused on the surface; it works underneath. The company makes Basis to work at the cellular level, promoting long-term health without drawing attention.
You may miss the surface-level changes, but there may be improvements on the inside. With time, you should actually notice the benefits on the outside via your skin, and maybe hair.
The company’s impressive Scientific Advisory Board and the Basis clinical trial results hint at this product being potentially beneficial.
How Much Does Elysium Basis Cost?
The price you will buy Basis at will depend on whether you are ordering monthly deliveries or making an “individual purchase.” The latter will set you back by $60 for a month supply. Monthly deliveries start at a price of $50.
You save more money on bulk order. Price per bottle drops as low as $40 for a one-year order.
Elysium Basis – Bottom Line
Research, albeit mostly on lab animals, has shown that nicotinamide riboside converts to NAD+ in the body. Seeing that Basis adds pterostilbene to this vitamin B3 variant, it stands to reason that the supplement should help increase NAD+ levels. Evidence from clinical trial involving the use of the product supports this thinking.
Through its effect on NAD+ levels, Basis may provide a wide range of health benefits and facilitate healthy aging. We are impressed by the pedigree of scientists that advises its maker.
The main concern is probably the price – it appears rather high. It doesn’t look like there is a money back guarantee either. But you may not have a need for refund if you do not expect to see almost immediate surface-level improvements.