Spoiler alert: The health of your cells declines as you age, which could affect your overall wellbeing as each birthday rolls around. But for those of us who never think about our bodies down to this level of minutiae (*raises hand*), a new field of research is booming: cellular health, and its link to your “healthspan” (AKA the healthy, functional years of your life).
“Your cells are the building blocks for every muscle, tissue, and organ in your body,” says Ryan Dellinger, PhD, Director of Scientific Affairs Elysium Health, a company leading the charge in consumer health products designed to proactively support health. That all starts with Basis, a supplement that works on the cellular level. “It is important to remember that you are your cells, so the first signs of aging actually start there.”
“It is important to remember that you are your cells, so the first signs of aging actually start there.”
And there’s a reason why it’s one of our 2018 Wellness Trends. If you can maintain the health of cells as you age, the thinking goes, you can support the health of your entire body. Led by Leonard Guarente, PhD, Director of the Glenn Laboratory for the Science of Aging at MIT, Elysium Health’s mission is to shift the conversation from lifespan to healthspan (in short, quality over length).
The scientists behind Elysium Health tapped 25 years of research, much of it from Guarente’s lab, to develop Basis. With a rockstar scientific advisory board (not to mention research partners at Harvard and Oxford) they’re laying the groundwork for future products designed to target the fundamentals of aging. Here’s what you need to know.
Keep reading for three reasons why it’s time to prioritize your cellular health.
It supports your circadian rhythm and DNA health
When experts say cell health declines as you age, one thing they really mean is your NAD+ levels drop. “NAD+ is a coenzyme that is necessary in all living cells,” Dr. Dellinger says. And NAD+ is a key player in many key cellular functions, from energy production to circadian rhythm regulation to DNA health.
“NAD+ is also crucial for the function of sirtuins, a fascinating family of proteins that are associated with health and longevity,” says Dr. Guarante (psst: his lab actually discovered the connection between sirtuins and longevity). “Sirtuins are emerging as key players in long-term health; continued stimulation of these molecules with NAD+ or sirtuin-activating compounds has been proposed as one approach to combat aging.”
Research shows that NAD+ levels decline with age. “This means that cellular processes that rely on NAD+ may not be able to function as efficiently as we get older,” Dr. Dellinger adds—but this is where Basis comes in. The daily supplement has been proven in a human study to increase those declining levels of NAD+ by an average of 40 percent.
It could increase your “healthspan”
“In the past 20 years, there have been landmark scientific discoveries—from genes that control the aging process to substantive data showing how we might be able to proactively intervene,” says Eric Marcotulli, CEO of Elysium Health. “We can now—for the first time ever—consciously take control of our cellular health.”
It’s some of these discoveries that form the scientific underpinning of Basis. “Methods to restore NAD+ are emerging as viable approaches to aging well and supporting our healthspan,” Dr. Dellinger says. According to a study published last year, participants who took Basis (which is a combo of sirtuin-activating and NAD+-boosting ingredients nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene) regularly saw a significant increase in NAD+ levels.
It’s a natural addition to your wellness routine
Energy and sleep cycles are a few of the areas Elysium Health converts report feeling most satisfied—which coincidentally are two areas you strive to tackle with your wellness game.
In fact, incorporating a cellular-health supplement dovetails nicely with a regular healthy routine. Staying hydrated (since cells are primarily made up of water), consistent exercise (which helps to produce more energy in cells), and avoiding free radical damage (with an antioxidant-rich diet) are all things you might already be doing, and might not know are secret cellular health essentials—and an investment in your long-term health.
So why not add a daily supplement—that’s backed by groundbreaking research, no less—to the mix? That’s the question Elysium Health’s scientists want you to start asking. When it comes to cellular health, they’re in it for the long game.
To learn more about Elysium Health, keep up-to-date on Medium
In partnership with Elysium Health
Top photo: Stocksy/Lumina
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