Elysium Health

DSHEA Notice: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Overview

Elysium Health was founded in 2014 in New York by MIT aging researcher Leonard Guarente and positions itself at the scientific end of the longevity-supplement market. Its flagship product, Basis, is the only commercially available supplement combining nicotinamide riboside (NR) with pterostilbene in a single capsule — a formulation the company frames as targeting sirtuin pathway support. The scientific advisory board includes Nobel Prize laureates, giving Elysium the strongest academic credentials of any brand in this category. The formula is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free, and carries NSF Certified for Sport status.

The key differentiator is the NR + pterostilbene pairing. NR is a precursor to NAD+, a coenzyme that declines with age and is under active investigation for its role in cellular energy metabolism. Pterostilbene is a stilbenoid polyphenol related to resveratrol, studied for its potential to support SIRT1 activity. Elysium’s rationale is that the two compounds may work synergistically — a hypothesis with some preclinical and early human evidence, though the clinical picture for this specific combination remains limited. Elysium also published a peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial measuring the effect of its NRPT (nicotinamide riboside + pterostilbene) formulation on NAD+ levels as a biomarker endpoint; that study observed changes in NAD+ concentrations in blood over 60 days. It does not establish a health outcome and should not be interpreted as proof of disease prevention or lifespan extension.

The headline weakness is the consumer-trust signal: 3.4/5 on Trustpilot from only 13 reviews is a small and mixed dataset. Elysium also has a documented legal history of sourcing disputes with ChromaDex (the NR supplier behind Tru Niagen), and some customers have reported customer service friction. The product line is narrow — primarily Basis and the Index epigenetic age test — so buyers seeking category breadth will look elsewhere.

What the Evidence Shows

NAD+ biology is a legitimate and active research area. Animal studies have consistently shown that NAD+ precursor supplementation can restore age-associated NAD+ decline and improve markers of metabolic and mitochondrial function in rodent models. Human trials are more limited in number and scope.

The NRPT clinical trial (published peer-reviewed) measured blood NAD+ levels as a biomarker endpoint and found statistically significant increases in participants taking the Elysium formulation compared to placebo over 60 days. This is a mechanistic finding about a biomarker — it does not establish that NR or pterostilbene supplementation extends human lifespan, reverses aging, or prevents disease. Human longevity claims for NAD+ precursors remain unproven.

For pterostilbene specifically, human clinical data is thin. Most evidence is derived from cell culture and animal models. Some small human trials on cardiovascular and metabolic markers have been conducted, but the evidence base is insufficient to support strong efficacy claims in the context of longevity. The synergistic effect of combining NR with pterostilbene is plausible based on the sirtuin activation pathway but has not been confirmed in a large-scale, long-duration human trial.

In short: the science is promising and the research direction is credible, but human longevity benefits are under active investigation and should be framed as such. Basis is not a proven anti-aging treatment.

Third-Party Testing and COA

Elysium states that Basis is third-party tested during and after manufacture, and the product carries NSF Certified for Sport certification — one of the more rigorous third-party marks in the supplement industry, involving independent testing for label accuracy and the absence of substances banned in sport. For a longevity supplement in the YMYL category, NSF certification is a meaningful quality signal.

BiohackerAtlas did not independently obtain or test a sample (sampleSource: not-tested). We cannot verify individual batch COA figures. Buyers who require batch-specific purity documentation should contact Elysium directly for COA access before purchasing.

Formulation and Dosing

The standard Basis dose is two capsules per day, supplying NR and pterostilbene. The exact per-capsule milligram amounts are stated on the product label; consult the current Elysium product page at elysiumhealth.com for up-to-date specifications, as formulations can change. The formula is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free — relevant for buyers with dietary restrictions.

Elysium does not require a subscription, though subscription pricing is typically offered at a discount. At $1.67 per serving on the standard plan, the cost sits in the accessible-to-mid tier of the NR supplement market — not the cheapest option available, but not the most expensive either.

Cost Breakdown

Product	Cost per serving	Annual cost (1 serving/day)
Elysium Basis	$1.67	~$610
Tru Niagen NR 300 mg	~$1.48	~$540
DoNotAge NMN (NMN alternative)	~$0.20	~$73
ProHealth NMN Pro 500 mg (subscribed)	~$1.48–1.97	~$540–$720

Note: prices are approximate and subject to change. NMN is a different compound from NR — the cost comparison is illustrative of the broader market, not an endorsement of NMN equivalence.

Where It Fits

Buy if:

• You specifically want the NR + pterostilbene combination in a single capsule rather than two separate products
• Academic and scientific credibility of the advisory board is a meaningful purchase criterion for you
• You already use or are considering the Elysium Index epigenetic age test and want ecosystem cohesion
• NSF Certified for Sport status is important to you (athletes subject to testing, or buyers who weight independent certification heavily)

Consider alternatives if:

• You prefer NMN over NR as your NAD+ precursor strategy (see Renue, ProHealth, DoNotAge)
• Lowest cost per serving is the priority (DoNotAge NMN is substantially cheaper)
• You want the dominant NR-specialist brand by market presence (Tru Niagen, backed by ChromaDex)
• A larger Trustpilot review base gives you more confidence (Nootropics Depot: 1,700 reviews at 4.0/5)
• You want a broad multi-compound longevity stack rather than a focused two-ingredient formula

Verdict

Elysium Health Basis earns a recommended score of 7.7 on the strength of a genuinely distinctive formulation (the only commercial NR + pterostilbene combination), the strongest academic advisory board credentials in the longevity-supplement category, NSF Certified for Sport third-party testing, and a published peer-reviewed trial measuring NAD+ biomarker changes. These are meaningful differentiators for a science-minded buyer who prioritizes documented rigor over marketing.

The weaknesses are real and worth weighing: the Trustpilot presence is minimal and mixed (13 reviews at 3.4/5), the company has a documented legal history with its NR supplier, the cost is not competitive against budget alternatives, and the human evidence for longevity benefits from this specific combination remains preliminary. Basis is best understood as a well-credentialed supplement in an emerging research category — not a proven intervention for aging or disease.

For buyers who want NR + pterostilbene together with credible scientific backing, Basis is the category reference product. For buyers who prioritize NMN, lower cost, or deeper consumer-review coverage, other options are better matched.

Changelog

• 2026-06-15: Full body rewrite — expanded evidence section with explicit YMYL framing, added NSF certification context, added cost comparison table, restructured buy/consider-alternatives section, added DSHEA disclaimer. Verdict and score unchanged.
• 2026-05-07: Initial review published based on Elysium Health Basis published specifications.