THE ANTI-AGING PILL: “The startup is being founded by Leonard Guarente, an MIT biologist who is 62 (‘unfortunately,’ he says) and who’s convinced that the process of aging can be slowed by tweaking the body’s metabolism. The problem, Guarente says, is that it’s nearly impossible to prove, in any reasonable time frame, that drugs that extend the lifespan of animals can do the same in people; such an experiment could take decades. That’s why Guarente says he decided to take the unconventional route of packaging cutting-edge lab research as so-called nutraceuticals, which don’t require clinical trials or approval by the FDA. This means there’s no guarantee that Elysium’s first product, a blue pill called Basis that is going on sale this week, will actually keep you young. The product contains a chemical precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD, a compound that cells use to carry out metabolic reactions like releasing energy from glucose. The compound is believed to cause some effects similar to a diet that is severely short on calories—a proven way to make a mouse live longer.”

I already take the main ingredients: nicotinamide riboside (in the form of Niagen) and pterostilbene, which I’ve lately been taking along with resveratrol in a combination called Pteromax. Do they help? I don’t know. I feel pretty good, but maybe I would anyway.