The ex-Countryfile host, 54, takes a quick swig of one kitchen ingredient every day – it’ll probably surprise you
Julia Bradbury swears by a surprising trick to support her long-term health. The ex-Countryfile host, 54, takes a quick swig of one kitchen ingredient every day and claimed even her children can’t get enough of it.
You may be surprised to hear the ingredient in question is none other than extra virgin olive oil. Julia favours cold-pressed, mono-varietal and organic types. “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 motivated to adopt various healthy habits, including this one, after her cancer diagnosis in 2021.
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Although she doesn’t blame herself for the cancer, she previously told The Sun that her life wasn’t exactly healthy day by day. So, even after getting the all-clear, she’s sought to change her lifestyle for the better.
“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 then went on to highlight the various benefits of olive oil, including its potential cholesterol-lowering perks.
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.”
Crucially, Julia isn’t alone in her views either. Dr Gareth Nye, a Biomedical Science lecturer at the University of Salford (@dr.gareth.nye), told the Mirror that they are backed by a wealth of evidence. “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 said that virgin olive oil is preferable for daily consumption as it hasn’t gone through ‘extra heating processes’ that can impact its beneficial components. However, nothing suggests that taking a daily shot is better than eating it with salads or other meals.
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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.”
Both Dr Nye and Julia also agree that olive oil may boast some ‘brain-boosting’ benefits. Last year, 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.