The Impact of Coronavirus on Drug Use in Europe
The Impact of Coronavirus on Drug Use in Europe
Record Seizure of Synthetic Drugs in Spain: A Randox Toxicology Blog
U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Resurge to Record During the Pandemic
Italian Authorities Seize Over $1B Worth of Amphetamines Originating From Syria
Rise in Lockdown Drug Use Linked to Mental Health Issues
We Are Randox | ‘Tis the Season of Giving at the Christmas Raffle 2018
This year our much-anticipated Christmas Raffle took place on Monday 24th December 2018, in aid of our official charity partners, AWARE NI and Mind Your Mood.
The main depression charity for Northern Ireland, AWARE has an established network of 24 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country, and also delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces. Mind Your Mood is an initiative designed and managed by students at Ulster University to help break down the stigma of mental health and encourage students to access support.
Did you know that the prevalence of mental health conditions in Northern Ireland is up to 25% higher than in England, with anxiety and depression being the most common mental disorders? We’re proud therefore to be supporting both AWARE and Mind Your Mood with a range of fundraising initiatives this year, including now the Randox Christmas Raffle 2018, at which, we are delighted to announce, we raised more than £2500 – with the official total still to be counted!
Congratulations to all our prize winners from this year’s Christmas Raffle, and in particular to the lucky winners of our most coveted prizes – a 55″ Ultra HD 4K Sony Bravia TV and an extra day of annual leave!
Randox announces mental health charities AWARE and Mind Your Mood as Official Charity Partners
Global healthcare company Randox Laboratories has today announced mental health charities AWARE and Mind Your Mood as its official charity partners for 2018/2019.
The main depression charity for Northern Ireland, AWARE has an established network of 24 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country, and also delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces. Mind Your Mood is an initiative designed and managed by students at Ulster University to help break down the stigma of mental health and encourage students to access support.
Randox will be fundraising for the charities through a range of events and initiatives throughout the year, including individual staff fundraising activities, the company’s annual staff fun day, Randox Fest, and its popular Christmas Raffle.
Randox Founder and Managing Director, Dr Peter FitzGerald, commented;
“Mindful of the significant impact of mental health issues on society, we are today announcing AWARE and Mind Your Mood as our charity partners for the year. Every one of us has been touched either directly or indirectly by these issues and it’s something we at Randox wish to help to address. We have for example invested significantly in research that will determine how problems with the digestive system can affect your mood, sleep and stress levels. We hope that our partnerships not only help those affected by mental ill-health across Northern Ireland, but also empower our Randox staff to take care of their own mental well-being.”
In addition to supporting AWARE and Mind Your Mood with fundraising events throughout the year, Randox has also committed to delivering mental health awareness sessions and mindfulness activities to its staff.
Inclusive of the introduction of the Mood Matters Workplace Programme, and the provision of dedicated Mental Health Mentors, Randox hopes to encourage staff to effectively manage their feelings when they’re stressed, worried or depressed, learn simple practical skills to help cope with their own challenges, and support their colleagues with theirs.
Clare Galbraith, Corporate Fundraising Officer for AWARE, commented;
“We’re delighted to have Randox on board as one of our official corporate fundraising partners this year. As a key employer in Northern Ireland with tremendous influence, the company has real potential to transform how we look at mental health and wellbeing, particularly in the workplace setting. We look forward to seeing the creative fundraising ideas they have planned for the year ahead and thank them for all their support thus far.”
Amanda Castray, Director of Campus Life, Ulster University said,
“Ulster University and Randox enjoy a longstanding partnership built around research, knowledge sharing, collaboration and student opportunity which reflects the leadership of both organisations in diagnostics and health research globally. We are very encouraged that one of our valued industry partners is now supporting us with our student-led mental health programme, Mind Your Mood. We look forward to working with the team at Randox as we promote positive mental health and wellbeing across our campuses and tackle the social stigmas associated with seeking support.”
As part of Randox’s focus this year on mental health and wellbeing, the global healthcare company will also be offering Ulster University students a discount on its revolutionary health checks for the duration of the partnership.
These health programmes are designed to find indicators of physical or mental ill-being at the earliest possible stage, to allow preventive action or treatment to be taken.
For further information about AWARE, and the opportunity to donate, please visit www.randox.com/aware/
For further information about Mind Your Mood, and the opportunity to donate, please visit www.randox.com/mind-your-mood/
For other enquiries, please contact Randox PR on 028 9442 2413 or email randoxpr@randox.com
The link between your nutrition and your mental health
Our nutritional health affects almost every process in the human body.
And nutrition gives us energy. A body without food is like a car without fuel, and we certainly wouldn’t put bad fuel in our car. Just like a car, consistently putting bad fuel into our bodies can have a detrimental effect.
For example, if you are a vegetarian, you may not have enough iron in your diet, or if you exclude dairy from your diet, you may not have enough calcium. Such insufficiency is well known for causing various health problems such as anaemia and brittle bones.
But what you may not know is that a lack of particular vitamins or minerals in our diet may also negatively affect our mental health. And it’s not surprising when you learn that the brain and the gastrointestinal systems are so closely linked.
Have you ever had “butterflies in your stomach”? Or been in a “gut-wrenching” situation? These phrases are used for a reason.
Your gastrointestinal system is sensitive to emotion – so whether you feel angry, sad, anxious or excited, this emotion may appear as symptoms in your stomach. The brain can even trigger the release of stomach juices just by thinking about your next meal.
And the connection can work both ways, as the gut-brain relationship is bidirectional. A troubled digestive system can send signals of pain or discomfort to the brain, and can therefore be the cause of mental illbeing.
Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate in particular are linked to depression. And this is because they play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions.
It’s therefore important to monitor whether nutritionally you are getting enough of these vitamins in your diet, which may in fact by the source of your mental illbeing. Our scientists at Randox Health thoroughly analyse up to 350 of your body’s biological markers to reveal what’s happening in your body, and if it turns out that a gut imbalance is having an effect on your mental health, there’s something you can do about it.
Determining the appropriate treatment may be as simple as eating more eggs, milk, cheese, milk products, meat, fish, shellfish or poultry, which are known sources of Vitamin B12.
So take control of your health – find out if your stomach problems are contributing to your mental concerns.
Contact the Randox Health team today.
Tel: 0800 2545 130
Email:info@randoxhealthni.com