About Elysium Health
Elysium Health Inc markets dietary supplements that help support NAD levels, which determine the speed of the aging process. By promoting its products as supplements with potential anti-aging properties, and not anti-aging products per se, the brand is able to bypass the lengthy trial period required for the latter and deliver its products promptly to its customers.
That’s not to say that the company skimps on its research, though. This Elysium Health review has found that the brand adheres to strict pharmaceutical-quality production standards, has forged research partnerships with Harvard, Oxford, and MIT, and that its advisory board includes no less than eight Nobel Prize winners.
Elysium Health has had media hits in major outlets like The New Yorker, Time Magazine, Psychology Today, Wired, Scientific American, and Business Insider. It should be noted, though, that not all of these mentions are complimentary.
While an Elysium Health Matter review in Good Housekeeping allowed the founders to state their claims unchallenged, a 2017 Elysium Basis review in the MIT Technology Review took aim at the product for its questionable efficacy, as well as the brand’s opacity about its number of subscribers and sources of funding.
So, to get down to brass tacks—does Elysium Basis really work? And moreover, is Elysium Health legit? This Elysium Health review will answer these pressing questions, as well as offer a comprehensive look at the company’s other products and subscription options, to help you decide if this anti-aging solution is right for you.
Overview of Elysium Health
Elysium Health LLC was founded in New York City in 2014 by the trio of Leonard Guarente (chief scientist), Eric Marcotulli (CEO), and Dan Alminana (COO). The company’s goal is to bring the benefits of pathbreaking scientific research directly to consumers seeking anti-aging solutions.
The brand’s primary focus is the body’s NAD+ plus levels. The Elysium Health NAD plus info page outlines how the levels of this coenzyme, which is crucial for cellular energy and proper functions, steadily decline with age. By boosting these levels, it is theoretically possible to slow the effects of aging.
Elysium telomere research, founded on the discoveries of its Nobel-winning board member Dr. Jack Szostak, has also shown how protecting the ends of chromosomes from damage can further work against cellular aging.
Through its prestigious academic partnerships, Elysium Health is heavily engaged in research trials of prototype treatments for skin, microbiome, cognitive, and muscle issues that are commonly caused by aging. Once or when successful, these treatments can then be speedily packaged into readily available products.
The company’s primary product, Basis, contains two main ingredients: the B3 vitamin nicotinamide riboside (NR), a precursor to NAD+; and pterostilbene, which is commonly found in plants. The Elysium Health pterostilbene info page details how this polyphenol supports healthy cell function thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Elysium Health sirtuins research has also further illustrated how these proteins work to regulate cell homeostasis, and as such these are also key components of the Basis formula. In addition, the Elysium Health NMN info page outlines how this cousin molecule to NR, though it is not an ingredient of Basis, could potentially play a part in a future Elysium supplement.
Before going any deeper, this Elysium Health review will outline the general pros and cons of the company.
Pros
- Elysium products are rigorously researched by a large team of scientists, academics, and creatives
- Brand has research partnerships with several prestigious institutions, and its 25-strong scientific advisory board includes 8 Nobel Laureates
- Referral incentives
Cons
- Products are not conclusively proven to slow aging, as was claimed by some media reports on the brand
Elysium currently sells three products: Matter and Basis, which are specialty dietary supplements; and Index, an at-home biological age testing kit.
Matter is a daily supplement developed in partnership with the University of Oxford to support long-term brain health. The regular cost of a month’s supply is $60, but it is also available at various discounted subscription rates.
Basis is a daily supplement clinically proven to increase NAD+ levels by an average of 40%, thereby promoting healthy cellular aging. Like Matter, a month’s supply (two capsules per morning) sells individually for $60, but different subscription options offer different discounts.
Index sells individually for $499, but you’re eligible for a significant member discount of up to $200 off if you subscribe. Elysium subscriptions are available in three formats: prepaid plans of either 6 or 12 months, as well as a monthly “Pay-As-You-Go” option.
Basis Cellular Health & Optimization
Basis is an Elysium supplement delivered in capsule form that is clinically proven to increase and sustain NAD+ levels by 40% in adults who take the daily recommended dose of two capsules every morning, with or without food.
The Elysium Basis supplement targets NAD+, an important coenzyme involved in many of the body’s metabolic processes. NAD+ helps turn nutrients into energy, but the body doesn’t have an endless supply—in fact, NAD+ levels decline with age. That’s where Basis comes in.
By combining NAD+ precursors nicotinamide riboside (NR) and pterostilbene, Basis works to increase and sustain NAD+ levels. By doing so, it promotes healthy cellular function and sustains cellular energy, preventing the premature deterioration that leads to the common signs (and feeling) of aging.
A month’s supply (60 pills) of Basis sells for $60 as an individual purchase, but you’ll save money with one of the Elysium Health subscription options. A 12-month prepaid subscription reduces the price to $40 a bottle; a 6-month subscription knocks it down to $45; and the monthly option comes in at $50.
Matter Long-Term Brain Health
Developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, Matter is a dietary supplement based on a B-vitamin complex that is proven to help slow the process of brain deterioration that naturally comes with aging. This helps promote memory retention and other fundamental cognitive abilities that we too often take for granted.
Those “little grey cells” that master detective Hercule Poirot was so proud of aren’t permanent: we can lose up to one-fifth of our brain volume as we age (even those of us who aren’t trying to speed up the process with liquid or chemical indulgences). That’s why Elysium recommends that Matter become a part of your long-term daily health regimen.
As with Basis, a one-month supply (60 pills) of Matter is $60, but you can take advantage of a sliding scale of discounts if you spring for one of the subscription options.
Index Biological Age Test
Index is an at-home genetic testing kit that allows you to determine your biological (as opposed to chronological) age by measuring your unique biomarkers, which vary depending on your lifestyle and genetic background. Why is this important to know? Because by understanding how quickly you’re aging, you can identify and address the factors that are contributing to it.
So how does it work? First, you use the Index to take a saliva sample. Then, you send that sample to the Elysium lab, where your DNA will be extracted and analyzed in order to determine your biological age. In six weeks, you’ll get a full report, including recommendations for the lifestyle changes you can make to slow your rate of aging.
The Index sells for $499, but if you’re a Basis subscriber, you can take advantage of an exclusive offer and pay only $299.
How Does Elysium Health Work?
As this Elysium Health review specified above, the brand sells three innovative products that can be purchased individually for full price, or discounted as per length of prescription. The longer your prescription, the more money you save.
Matter and Basis supplements cost $60 per bottle on the regular, but you can slash that price by choosing one of the subscription options below:
- Monthly: $50/month (save 17%)
- 6-month supply: $45/month (save 25%)
- 1-year supply: $40/month (save 33%)
You’ll find all of the subscription options broken down when you click the “Buy Now” button on the product page for either supplement, as well as in the Elysium help centre. For all three options, Elysium will deliver your product to you monthly and send you an email reminder 30 days before your subscription is set to renew.
You can customize your plan to provide a monthly supply for one person (default) or as many as five. You can change the number of bottles supplied in your plan at any time by contacting care@elysiumhealth.com. Prices will vary depending on the number—there is no “family discount” for a higher supply number, but Elysium does offer a referral program.
How Much is Elysium Health?
As outlined in this Elysium Health review, prices vary depending on whether you opt for a one-time purchase or sign up for one of the three subscription options. Prices are broken down below, from the least expensive per-bottle purchase to the most:
- 1-year prepaid subscription: $480 (you save $20 per bottle)
- 6-month prepaid subscription: $270 (you save $15 per bottle)
- Monthly subscription: $50/month (you save $10 per bottle)
- One-time purchase: $60 (full price)
The Index biological aging test is also subject to subscription discounts. If you’re a Basis subscriber, you can purchase Index for as little as $299. Non-subscribers pay the full price of $499.
Elysium Health Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
As there are no customer reviews on the brand website, this Elysium Health review turned to Elysium Health Reddit threads to see what long-time users had to say about the company and its products.
One Elysium Health Basis review from a male in his mid-thirties detailed how he had been taking Basis for almost two years. He writes that he experienced strong effects for about a year, including feeling that he had an increase in energy, motivation, and concentration, but that these now seem to have worn off.
Another commenter, a 56-year-old woman, reported that after taking Basis for three years, she finally began to notice the benefits: “My skin is soft […] My hair is thicker and darker with much less grey.”
She also mentioned some possible side effects of the supplement, which have since worn off: “When [I] started taking this I had severe flashes and floaters in my left eye and started getting them in my right eye. The right eye healed first, the left eye slowly healed. I now have no floaters or flashes.”
While there is an Elysium Health report on Trustpilot, it doesn’t give us much to go on: there are only three reviews total, and all are from people who had issues with the company. One claims that he received no noticeable benefits from taking the supplements, while the other two claim that they had to clear multiple hurdles before successfully cancelling their subscription.
At the company’s similarly undernourished Better Business Bureau profile, two more reviews cite difficulties cancelling subscriptions due to the brand’s unresponsive customer service. Another reviewer writes of a very contrasting experience, saying that “the customer care people are superb and very amiable.”
All of which is to state, it’s very difficult to get an accurate portrait of the company from the consumer point of view. The brand clearly bases its credibility less on customer feedback than on its research and personnel bona fides, as well as its prestigious institutional affiliations.
Is Elysium Health Worth It?
This Elysium Health review wants to help you make a considered decision about purchasing from this company. But given that we always try to take a consumer-first approach, the wide range of experiences that customers have had with Elysium Health NAD+ supplements don’t provide us with a completely clearcut answer.
Ultimately, as with any product used for medical purposes, it is recommended that you consult a physician before taking any Elysium supplement or if you have concerns about their use. That being said, all of the product information is well laid-out on the brand website, including detailed articles about the research underlying Elysium’s product line.
You can always buy a bottle of Matter or Basis as a one-time purchase and see what you think, but customer experience suggests that the beneficial effects may not be noticeable right away. When all is said and done, whether or not you opt to give Elysium a try depends on how much stock you put in the admittedly impressive body of experts the company has marshaled.
Elysium Health Promotions & Discounts
Elysium subscriptions are designed to save you money when you invest in long-term use of these products. As detailed above, you can save between 17% to 33% per bottle on Basis and Matter when you sign up for a subscription plan. Basis subscribers are also eligible for $200 off the Index test.
Elysium also has a refer-a-friend incentive. When you refer Basis to a friend, they’ll earn an additional bottle with their 6-month or 1-year subscription and you’ll get $50 in Basis credit, which is good for one bottle at the monthly rate. This applies for each friend who subscribes to Basis, and you earn an extra $100 credit when you reach 10 friends.
Elysium does not presently offer wholesale discounts for physicians.
Sign up for Elysium Health
Signing up for an Elysium subscription is super-easy! This Elysium Health review will break it down step by step:
- Begin by selecting the product you’d like to receive a monthly delivery of: Basis or Matter.
- Click on the blue icon below the product. If you’re looking at Basis, the icon reads “Starting at $40/bottle”; if you’re looking at Matter, it says “Buy Now.”
- You’ll be redirected to subscription options.
- Click on the “Individual Purchase” box if you wish to make a one-time payment, or select your preferred subscription: 1 year prepaid, 6 months prepaid, or paid monthly.
- Below the “Monthly Deliveries” box, select how many people you would like deliveries for (1-5).
- Check out and register your email to easily access your account information.
FAQ
Where is Elysium Health located?
The Elysium Health headquarters is located in New York City. The brand’s research, though, is done in cutting-edge labs thanks to partnerships with institutions such as Harvard, the University of Oxford, and MIT.
Who owns Elysium Health?
Elysium Health is owned by CEO Eric Marcotulli, COO Dan Alminana, and chief scientist Leonard Guarente. Guarente is the director of the Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging Research at MIT, while Marcotulli was a former partner in the venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and Alminana was previously a J.P. Morgan exec.
What is in Elysium?
As outlined in this Elysium Health review above, all products are lab-researched and clinically tested. Basis contains two naturally occurring compounds: nicotinamide riboside (NR) and pterostilbene. Matter’s primary ingredients are a B-vitamin complex and omega-3 free fatty acids.
The full list of ingredients for these products, including inactive ingredients, is available at the Elysium help centre link.
How much does Elysium cost?
Elysium prices vary depending on whether you’re purchasing a product as a one-time payment, or paying monthly for one of the discounted subscription packages. See the “How Much is Elysium Health” section above for a full price breakdown.
How do I cancel my Elysium Health subscription?
Prepaid subscriptions are final sale, but you can cancel your month-to-month subscription plan any time before a shipment by contacting care@elysiumhealth.com. If you wish to cancel Elysium subscription, notify care@elysiumhealth.com; this will remove the auto-renewal once you reach the end of your designated plan.
You can also place your subscription on hold or adjust your delivery schedule by contacting Elysium and providing the date on which you would like your shipments to restart.
What is Elysium Health’s Shipping Policy?
This Elysium Health review has determined that Basis and Matter ship only to the US and Canada. At present, Index can only be shipped within the US.
With Standard shipping, an Elysium shipment will take approximately 5-7 business days. There is also an Express shipping option via FedEx, which will arrive the following business day if your order is placed before 2:00pm EST.
What is Elysium Health’s Return Policy?
All Elysium products are final sale. Elysium attributes this to the nature of its products, detailed as such in the terms and conditions of each purchase.
How to Contact Elysium Health
To reach Elysium customer service, you can call or text 888-220-6436. The customer service team is available Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm EST.
You can also email customer service at the following Elysium Health address: care@elysiumhealth.com. Please note though that several Elysium Health reviews have suggested that customer service may be unresponsive at times.
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