Julia Bradbury has shared her unique trick for maintaining long-term health. The former Countryfile presenter, 54, takes a shot of one cupboard staple each day and said even her children are fans of it.
You might be astonished to learn that Julia’s go-to is none other than extra virgin olive oil. Preferring the cold-pressed, mono-varietal, and organic varieties, Julia sips on this staple regularly. “I don’t drink alcohol anymore, but I do still have shots,” she explained in an Instagram post last month.
“Of extra virgin olive oil or EVOO for short. LOOK FOR COLD PRESSED. And my kids like to gulp it down too, as you can see (using it for salad dressings and drizzled over food works just as well).” Julia was inspired to adopt numerous healthy practices, including this one, following her cancer battle in 2021.
While she doesn’t hold herself responsible for the cancer, she did concede to The Sun that her lifestyle wasn’t consistently healthy. Now cancer-free, she’s enthusiastic about enhancing her way of life.
“My health reset in 2021 (a breast cancer diagnosis) meant an overhaul of my high sugar, alcohol-rich diet,” she continued on Instagram. “Since then, I’ve spoken to experts around the world to teach myself and learn as much as I can about healthy living good nutrition, and how to spend as much time on planet earth here with my beautiful children.
“As a half-Greek, I have grown up with olive oil, but who knew about all the benefits?! It doesn’t just taste great.” Julia gushed as she went on to sing the praises of olive oil, especially zeroing in on its cholesterol-lowering potential.
She explained: “A diet rich in EVOO can help lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol (there’s a bigger story to this, for another time) and raise ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. It also supports healthy blood pressure and improves overall heart function. Think of it as a loving gift to your arteries—delicious and life-affirming.”
Julia certainly isn’t alone in her thoughts. Dr Gareth Nye, a Biomedical Science lecturer at the University of Salford (@dr.gareth.nye), told OK! that they are backed by numerous studies too.
“According to one recent study, people who regularly consume more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day have, on average, a 19% lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who rarely or never have olive oil,” he said. “There are strong suggestions that it improves risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes and may lead to better cognitive function.”
Dr Nye recommends reaching for virgin olive oil for everyday use because it avoids additional heating processes that could compromise its helpful components. However, no evidence suggests that a daily shot is more beneficial than integrating it into your salads or other dishes.
(Image: Mike Marsland/Getty Images for H)
He added: “Ultimately, olive oil will bring with it extra calories, and the benefits of the oil can be easily offset by a poor diet and lack of exercise elsewhere.
“In summary, as a part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, olive oil can provide a boost to the body, but taken in isolation as a quick fix, a shot of olive oil will not be tremendously useful to you.”
Dr Nye and Julia also concur that olive oil may offer some ‘brain-boosting’ perks. In 2024, another study found that people who consumed more than 7g of olive oil per day had a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia than other participants.
“Although this isn’t a cure, it shines some light on the underlying mechanisms behind dementia and may provide us with a better understanding to help future therapies develop,” Dr Nye added.