Rude Health News & Events

The latest news, research and events from the world of natural health

Honouring service that truly makes a difference

Outstanding customer care was once again recognised this year with the presentation of the 2025 Pat Curran Award for Excellence in Customer Service. The prestigious award was presented to Deirdre Murphy from Horans Health Store in Manor West, Co Kerry – a well-deserved winner who was voted for by readers of Rude Health magazine. As part of the award, €500 will be donated to a charity chosen by the winner.

The award was presented by Olive Curran and Michael Donnellan from PPC, the brand holders for Eskimo-3, ZinCuflex, and Zerochol in Ireland. Established in memory of Olive’s late father, Pat Curran, the award continues to honour his legacy. Pat was widely respected in the Irish natural health sector for his commitment to excellent customer care.

Olive Curran said: “Everyone at PPC is absolutely delighted to see this year’s award go to Deirdre Murphy of Horans Health Store. Deirdre has been a valued supporter and true friend of the brand for many years, as well as a great friend to Pat and everyone at PPC, making this recognition especially meaningful. A very well-deserved honour.”

Deirdre Murphy commented: “Thank you so much for the honour of the Pat Curran excellence award. I am so delighted as it is such a special award and is very personal for me. Pat was a good friend throughout the years and a true gentleman. We have so many funny stories that include Pat and ourselves. I’m delighted to nominate Kerry Hospice as my charity of choice. It is a wonderful organisation, providing care to ensure your loved one is comfortable and at peace.”

Readers who voted were entered into a special prize draw and the winners were drawn at random. The main winner, Breda Keogh received a €300 hotel break gift card from irelandhotels.com and a hamper of Eskimo-3 products. The three runners-up, who each received a hamper of Eskimo-3 products, were Claire Whelan, Fiona Galvin and Zara Jennings-Nicoll. Congratulations to all involved in this year’s awards!

Celebrating Ireland’s health food retailers

Ireland’s independent health food retailers were firmly in the spotlight this January as the New Natural Business/Health Stores Ireland Retailer Awards 2026 were announced at the Health Stores Ireland annual conference in Shannon. The annual awards celebrate excellence, innovation and community spirit across the sector, and this year’s winners truly set the bar high. Here are the results:

• Excellence in Training: The Hopsack, Dublin, collected by Finn Murray.

• Digital Marketing & Social Media: Open Sesame, Gort & Ennis, collected by Amy Taylor.

• Local Producer Champion: The Health Connection, Ennis, collected by Olivia Cahalane.

• Community Engagement: Anam Cara Healthstore, Killarney, Co Kerry, collected by Tina Tynan.

• Merchandising and Window Displays: Blasta Wholefoods, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, collected by Rob Whinnett.

• Environmental Initiatives: Healing Harvest, Kinvara, Co Galway, collected by Sian Morgan.

Huge congratulations to all the winners from us at Rude Health magazine!

Exercise gap widens in schools

Only 18% of secondary school students are getting the recommended daily amount of physical activity, according to new research from the University of Limerick.

The findings are part of a survey examining the physical activity of over 20,000 students in post-primary schools in Ireland. The Active School Flag Post-Primary (ASFPP) Student Survey Report was part of a pilot project of the Active School Flag (ASF) initiative, which took place across 42 schools in Ireland.

According to the survey, only 18% of students meet the daily recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The survey also revealed that only 12% of females meet daily MVPA guidelines compared to 24% of males. Furthermore, self-consciousness and lack of friends participating are major barriers for girls (48% and 40%, respectively). The initiative promotes physical activity in schools and aims to support schools to maximise opportunities for students and staff to be physically active during the school day.

The findings have informed a Government initiative to promote physical activity and health among school communities, with 50 new post-primary schools invited to join the Active School Flag Post-Primary programme, commencing in September 2026.

Eating fruit may help to boost our mood

Consuming a diet rich in flavonoids such as berries, apples and citrus fruits, may help to improve our mood, according to new research from Queen’s University Belfast.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds found in a wide variety of plant foods. They have long been linked to better physical health and are present in berries, apples, citrus fruits, tea, grapes, dark chocolate and even red wine.

The study drew on 18 years of follow-up data from the US Nurses’ Health Study, which included tens of thousands of women. It showed that women who consumed around three servings per day of flavonoid-rich foods were more likely to maintain higher levels of happiness and optimism.

Professor Aedín Cassidy, from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s said: “We know from previous research that people who have a higher flavonoid intake tend to live longer, and they are also less likely to get any of the major chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes or heart disease.”

“This new research shows that people who consume more flavonoids also tend to be happier and more optimistic. Several specific flavonoid-rich foods including berries (blueberries, strawberries), apples and citrus fruits were associated with a 3 to 16% greater likelihood of sustained psychological wellbeing. Overall, these findings underscore the potential for simple dietary modifications to support long-term psychological wellbeing.”

The research was co-led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the results were published in Clinical Nutrition.

Study reveals under-diagnosis of high blood pressure

New research from Trinity College Dublin shows that many people in Ireland with hypertension are still not being diagnosed or receiving the recommended treatment. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is a 12-year longitudinal study, involving over 8,000 participants, which provides a detailed national picture of how high blood pressure is being managed in Ireland. It also examines adherence to the latest European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines.

The research showed that at the most recent data collection, 62% of people aged 50 and over with high blood pressure were not being appropriately managed: they had undiagnosed hypertension, were diagnosed but not receiving treatment, or were on treatment but had blood pressure above recommended targets.

The researchers are encouraging adults to have their blood pressure checked regularly with their GP or local pharmacist, particularly as they get older or if they have other health conditions. They stress that early detection and appropriate treatment can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

The study was published in the international journal Open Heart.

March events

Roscommon Holistic Fair 8 March, Abbey Hotel, Galway Rd, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon www.dublinmindbodyexperience.ie The 50 Plus Show 12–13 March, RDS, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 www.seniortimes.ie Find more natural health events here...