An Alzheimer’s researcher shares 1 daily supplement and 1 mantra he recommends to everyone for brain health

If Dr. Rudolph Tanzi has learned anything from his many years of research, it is that nothing helps the brain more than healthy habits.

“Even if you’re taking supplements, nothing substitutes for lifestyle,” Tanzi, the director of Genetics and Aging Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of child neurology at Harvard Medical School, told Business Insider.

Tanzi, who is entering clinical trials for his own supplement brand CogniSHIELD, said “SHIELD” is a reference to an acronym he came up with to encourage good brain health and potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive issues down the road.

He shared why he recommends SHIELD to everyone and one daily supplement he takes to boost his brain health.

A mantra for great brain health

Tanzi broke down what SHIELD stands for:

• Sleep for 7-8 hours a night to clear harmful protein buildup, such as amyloid plaques. “The faster you make amyloid, the sooner you get Alzheimer’s,” Tanzi said.
• Handle stress. “Chronic stress causes chronic inflammation,” he said. Being more mindful can reduce the chances of cognitive decline.
• Interact with others. Loneliness negatively impacts the brain — and increases the risk of Alzheimer’s “twofold,” Tanzi said.
• Exercise to encourage nerve cell growth and dissolve amyloid buildup.
• Learn new things. “The more synapses you make in life, it’s like money in the bank,” Tanzi said. Keeping busy and having hobbies are also linked to greater longevity.
• Diet, such as the Mediterranean diet. Tanzi recommended focusing on plants to balance the gut microbiome. While Tanzi said more research is needed to understand why a healthy gut is linked to the removal of amyloid, he said a high-fiber diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains definitely helps.

He takes omega-3 for slower brain aging

Omega-3 fatty acids have many health benefits, such as lowering inflammation and reducing the risk of blood clots.

Mounting evidence suggests those effects confer anti-aging benefits. For example, in a 2025 study of 777 participants, those who took a gram of omega-3 a day experienced slower brain aging. The effect was more pronounced for people who also exercised and took vitamin D supplements.

While omega-3 can be found in foods like salmon and chia seeds, taking supplements like fish oil can help make up for any dietary deficits.

Tanzi, a vegetarian, takes daily vegan omega-3 supplements made from algae. For people looking into fish oil supplements, he advised doing research on the brand.

He said he likes brands like Centrum and Nordic Naturals (he has no affiliations with either) because of their distilling processes.

“Oceans, unfortunately, are filthy,” he said. Some companies may not be adequately filtering their fish oil to get toxic heavy metals like mercury or cadmium out. “If you’re buying fish oil capsules and they’re not double- or triple-distilled, you may be doing more harm than good.”

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