Elysium Basis May Not Be What You Think It Is

[Check out my updated review of Elysium Basis. It still may not be what you hoped for.]

Elysium Basis is hot. It seems like just about everyone interested in dietary supplements has begun talking about this product and the company behind it. Some are calling it the anti-aging “Fountain of Youth.” 

Quite a few longtime users of nootropics and geroprotectors have begun subscribing to the $50 per month service. Their hope is that it will deliver cellular detoxification, DNA repair, and energy production.

Elysium Health has orchestrated a smart marketing campaign. They showcase a formidable science advisory board. It is headed by an MIT biologist, Leonard Guarente. And it consists of over 20 scientists from prestigious research and industry institutions, including Nobel prize winners.

And Elysium appeals to over 30 peer-reviewed clinical studies. Together, they serve as evidence that Basis may be an effective geroprotector, to slow or perhaps even to repair aging.

Elysium Basis ingredients include Nicotinamide Riboside and Pterostilbene. Each serving of the supplement provides 250mg of Nicotinamide Riboside and 50mg of Pterostilbene.

Most of the excitement is around Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). NR is a B3 vitamer, found naturally in small amounts in milk, whey protein, and yeast. It is also possible to synthesize NR in large amounts.

In the body, NR becomes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Preliminary studies suggest that the NR dose in Basis may boost NAD levels by around 40 percent, without negative side effects. And that boost, in turn, may provide notable health benefits.

Elysium Basis Is Not Unique

Despite impressions from its marketing, Elysium did not discover the process for synthesizing Nicotinamide Riboside. In fact, it doesn’t even directly use the process itself.

That’s because the process is patented, and another company owns the patents. That other company is Chromadex. And Chromadex sells Nicotinamide Riboside under the brand name Niagen.

Furthermore, and again despite impressions from its marketing, Elysium is not even the only company that sells Niagen to consumers. Chromadex provides large quantities of Niagen at wholesale prices to many distributors, who in turn incorporate Niagen into their consumer products.

Elysium Basis is just one example. You won’t find the Basis supplement on Amazon. But others are easy to find there.

Alternatives include HPN N(R), Jarrow Formulas Nicotinamide Riboside, and Life Extension NAD+ Cell Regenerator. There's also Live Cell Research Niagen, Nectar7 Niagen, Thorne Research Niacel, and Thrive Now Health Niagen 300.

For consumers only interested in Nicotinamide Riboside, all of these other products are less expensive than Basis. That's when prices are normalized for dosage of Nicotinamide Riboside per dollar.

For consumers who are interested in Pterostilbene, the other active ingredient in Basis, some of the other products are still less expensive. And that's even after factoring in the separate purchase of Pterostilbene.

So, although you won’t find Elysium Basis on Amazon, you will find other NAD supplements on Amazon. There, and elsewhere, you can find better prices too.

Elysium Basis May Not Be the Best Geroprotector

Despite impressions from marketing, the most well-researched geroprotectors are not ingredients in Elysium Basis. To illustrate, let’s take a look at the kinds of studies that Elysium references on its website (21 October 2016):

• Identification of molecular pathways affected by pterostilbene, a natural dimethylether analog of resveratrol. This is a study of Pterostilbene on non-humans.
  
  
• NAD metabolism and sirtuins: Metabolic regulation of protein deacetylation in stress and toxicity. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• NAD+ metabolism and oxidative stress: the golden nucleotide on a crown of thorns. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Sirtuin-1 is a nutrient-dependent modulator of inflammation. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Structure-efficiency relationship in derivatives of stilbene. Comparison of resveratrol, pinosylvin and pterostilbene. This is a study of Pterostilbene on non-humans.
  
  
• Pharmacometrics of pterostilbene: preclinical pharmacokinetics and metabolism, anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic activity. This is a study of Pterostilbene on non-humans.
  
  
• Regulation of SIRT1 in cellular functions: role of polyphenols. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• NAD+-dependent Repair of Damaged DNA by Human Cell Extracts. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Age-Associated Changes In Oxidative Stress and NAD+ Metabolism In Human Tissue. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Time for Food: The Intimate Interplay between Nutrition, Metabolism, and the Circadian Clock. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• SIRT1 Mediates Central Circadian Control in the SCN by a Mechanism that Decays with Aging. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• SIRT1 regulates circadian clock gene expression through PER2 deacetylation. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• The time of metabolism: NAD+, SIRT1, and the circadian clock. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• The NAD+-Dependent Deacetylase SIRT1 Modulates CLOCK-Mediated Chromatin Remodeling and Circadian Control. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Nicotinamide riboside, a trace nutrient in foods, is a Vitamin B3 with effects on energy metabolism and neuroprotection. This is a review of studies of Nicotinamide Riboside on non-humans.
  
  
• The mitochondrial unfolded protein response, a conserved stress response pathway with implications in health and disease. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• The NAD(+)/Sirtuin Pathway Modulates Longevity through Activation of Mitochondrial UPR and FOXO Signaling. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Declining NAD(+) induces a pseudohypoxic state disrupting nuclear-mitochondrial communication during aging. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• The NAD(+) precursor nicotinamide riboside enhances oxidative metabolism and protects against high-fat diet-induced obesity. This is a study of Nicotinamide Riboside on non-humans.
  
  
• Sirtuin functions in health and disease. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Sirtuins as regulators of metabolism and healthspan. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Resveratrol improves mitochondrial function and protects against metabolic disease by activating SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha. This is a study of Resveratrol (related to Pterostilbene) on non-humans.
  
  
• Mitochondria — A Nexus for Aging, Calorie Restriction, and Sirtuins? This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Age-Associated Weight Gain, Leptin, and SIRT1: A Possible Role for Hypothalamic SIRT1 in the Prevention of Weight Gain and Aging through Modulation of Leptin Sensitivity. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Regulation of SIRT1 in cellular functions: role of polyphenols. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• NAD+ in aging, metabolism, and neurodegeneration. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Age-Associated Changes In Oxidative Stress and NAD+ Metabolism In Human Tissue. This is a study of related metabolism.
  
  
• Nicotinamide riboside restores cognition through an upregulation of proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α regulated β-secretase 1 degradation and mitochondrial gene expression in Alzheimer’s mouse models. This is a study of Nicotinamide Riboside on non-humans.
  
  
• Cellular and behavioral effects of stilbene resveratrol analogues: implications for reducing the deleterious effects of aging. This is a study of Pterostilbene on non-humans.
  
  
• Low-dose pterostilbene, but not resveratrol, is a potent neuromodulator in aging and Alzheimer's disease. This is a study of Pterostilbene on non-humans.

In summary, the Elysium website references 30 studies. The list of "all studies" actually references a few of these twice. And, of them, none are studies of Nicotinamide Riboside or Pterostilbene supplements on humans.

Most (21) are studies of related metabolism. That's important for establishing context for the probable safety and efficacy of studies on humans.

Five are studies of Pterostilbene on non-humans. One is a study of Resveratrol (related to Pterostilbene) on non-humans. And three are studies of Nicotinamide Riboside on non-humans.

Unfortunately, there's not much beyond the studies that the Elysium website references. Chromadex has sponsored one completed study of Nicotinamide Riboside supplements on one (1) human:

• Nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans. In 2016, this study found that "human blood NAD+ can rise as much as 2.7-fold with a single oral dose."

And the third-party supplement review website, Examine.com, notes one study of Pterostilbene supplements on humans with minor magnitude of effect:

• Pterostilbene on metabolic parameters: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. In 2014, this study found that "Pterostilbene increases LDL and reduces blood pressure in adults".

Compare that with the number of human studies for substances in my lists of top tier nootropics and top tier geroprotectors. All of them have at least two peer-reviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on significant numbers of humans. And most of them have more.

Some even have dozens of such studies. And the listed studies are only those on humans. For all of these substances, there are many more studies on non-humans and related metabolism.

I think Nicotinamide Riboside and Pterostilbene have potential to become top tier geroprotectors, but more evidence is needed. Chromadex recognizes the need, and it is sponsoring additional clinical trials. The next will include 140 healthy adults using various dosages of Nicotinamide Riboside for eight weeks.

I look forward to the results. And I hope they're awesome! In the mean time, however, available evidence indicates there are more dependable options.

Conclusion

Elysium Basis probably is not the best investment of your supplement budget. It does not include the most well-researched geroprotective ingredients. There are also less expensive and equally convenient ways of acquiring Nicotinamide Riboside and Pterostilbene.

Thrivous develops convenient and effective geroprotectors, including Vitality Geroprotector to support healthy metabolic, cellular, and genetic function. Thrivous geroprotectors are premium quality supplements that contain the most well-researched nutrients to support healthy aging. Buy yours today.