In the 1980’s, Leonard Guarente began doing anti-aging research at MIT. He’s a biologist, and his major discovery was finding a gene that controls aging by experimenting with yeast. Subsequent supporting research has been done on rats as well.

There are 2 important substances at work here. Sirtuins, a protein that regulates aging and other processes at a cellular level. We need them particularly to make nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a required material for conversion of food into energy and other cell functions.

NAD supplies in the body deteriorate over time, though some can come can be gained from certain food substances like tryptophan, aspartic acid and niacin. From this comes the idea of supplementation.

A couple of companies have been formed by the scientists involved in these discoveries including Dr. Guarente. Elixir Pharmaceuticals, now defunct, was to develop drugs. Dr. Guarente co-founded Elysium Health in 2014, this time to market supplements.

Elysium has already produced a product capitalizing on the research, Basis, which is claimed to support higher NAD levels to slow the aging process. They recommend 2 caps per day, and you can subscribe at the website for $50/month.
The thing about supplements is that no real proof that they work is required. Only marketing and producing a belief that they work. And in this case, when will you going to know that it helped you live longer? After you’ve spend thousands of dollars for how many years? This market is expected to be almost $125 Billion by 2023. In the US Alone, it was $42B in 2016.

Elysium has done clinical trials, double-blind studies with placebo control groups. Basis is also Certified for Sport by the National Science Foundation.

There are a lot of “this could be the secret to aging better” articles, but the jury is still out. The best advice I can give is what I say about everything: be an expert in your own health, do the research and make your choices based on that.

Sources:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a25642740/elysium-health-basis-pill/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_P._Guarente
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirtuin
https://www.openpr.com/news/1490885/Anti-Ageing-Drugs-Market-2019-Analysis-Research-Covers-Top-10-Players-as-BIOTIME-INC-Elysium-Health-Inc-La-Roche-Posay-DermaFix-L-OR-AL-and-others.html
https://www.inverse.com/article/49550-three-letters-could-change-everything

Recorded January 21, 2019.

Weight (change since Jan 2018): 200 (-74)
Workout time: 108 Minutes
Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 7.46 Miles (394.48)
Steps: 16,367
Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 145.38 (+2)
Body Fat: 27.2%
Daily Sleep Duration 7-day Avg: 6 hours
2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat

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