Basis by Elysium Health is made of Nicotinamide Riboside Chloride (250mg/serving) and Pterostilbene (50mg/serving). You can buy those ingredients direct from the manufacturer:
Buying the same ingredients direct from amazon or from Tru Niagen costs less than buying from Elysium -- as little as $37.50 per month, compared with Elysium's Basis which costs between $40-$60 per month.
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FAQ
1. Is This Legal???
A: Yes. You aren't allowed to call it "Basis," because Elysium Health has trademarked that term, but Elysium doesn't have an exclusive license to sell these ingredients -- in fact, they don't have any license at all.
2. Is This Safe???
A: Yes. There is only one licensed manufacturer for Nicotinamide Riboside -- that's ChromaDex -- and ChromaDex has also licensed the patents for Pterostilbene. ChromaDex is THE most reputable supplier, and ChromaDex's authorized resellers (Life Extension, HPN, Thorne) are other reputable sellers.
3. Is This Moral???
A: Yes. Elysium didn't invent the ingredients in their only product, Basis. We have no idea why they have a bunch of scientists on payroll, other than obviously to make it seem like they are more than just another web distributor.
4. That's Not a HUGE Savings...
A: Tru Niagen contains 300mg of NR (one capsule), whereas Basis only contains 250mg (2*125mg capsules). So you get more of the primary active ingredient. Tru Niagen also offers multi-bottle discounts (unlike Elysium) and better subscription pricing. And if you do subscribe for greater savings, you can with Tru Niagen pause or cancel online any time, which Elysium does not allow -- you have to telephone or email Elysium to cancel Basis.
For a single bottle, it costs the same on amazon as a TruNiagen.com. But for larger orders, you do much better buying direct, as this chart shows.
5. What Was That About Elysium Not Having a License?
A: The NR formulation that is the primary ingredient in Basis, was patented by Dr. Charles Brenner at Dartmouth College. Dartmouth licensed the NR formulation to ChromaDex, which sells it as "Tru Niagen.". Elysium originally licensed their NR from ChromaDex. That license was cancelled effective February 2017. Elysium then challenged the validity of Dartmouth's patent. That challenge was rejected by the federal government in January 2018. So Elysium doesn't have a legal right to manufacture and sell Basis any more than you any I have a legal right to manufacture and sell iPhones.
6. Should I Skip the Pterostilbene and Save Even More?
A: Maybe. Pterostilbene may have some benefits, but may also raise LDL levels, which would be bad. People disagree over whether there is a big net benefit with pterostilbene, so you could save even more by JUST taking NR until the dust settles.
7. Who Are You, and Why Are You Telling Us This?
A: I am Shelly Albaum, a former customer of Elysium Health, and a current shareholder of ChromaDex, and a lawyer closely tracking the litigation between Elysium and ChromaDex. You can read here why I don't trust Elysium and why I tell all my friends to take NR. I also have an excellent essay comparing the different NAD precursors: NR, NMN, NAM, and NA.
Shelly Albaum