Bread – not salty snacks or other foods – is the top source of dietary sodium in many countries around the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a recent global analysis. This comprehensive study, conducted by an international team of researchers from the World Action on Salt and Health, based at Queen Mary University of London, examined the sodium content of 2,000 types of bread sold in 32 countries.

The researchers found that more than one-third of the breads in the U.K. exceeded the maximum salt target for bread: 1.13g of salt per 100g, or half a teaspoon of salt for about two slices of bread. Pepperidge Farm’s Hearty Sliced white bread, which contained 1.4g salt per 100g or two slices, was among the saltiest breads in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 out of 10 U.S. children and adults exceed daily limits for sodium consumption.

Some of the breads tested were “saltier than seawater,” the researchers say. Golden Crust’s toaster bread, sold in South Africa, had the most salt per serving among all white breads surveyed – 2.46g per 250g portion – more sodium than four servings of fast food French fries. Sodium is added to packaged breads because it boosts flavor and acts as a preservative. Overall, flatbreads and whole-wheat breads contained the most sodium, while mixed-grain breads contained the least.

Here is the complete list of breads and their sodium content.

Sourced from: Vox

Current diabetes screening recommendations may miss as many as half of all people at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The guidelines, from the United States Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF), are based on age (40 to 70) and weight (whether you’re overweight or obese).

Results of the study, published in the Journal of General Medicine, indicate that using an expanded set of risk factors would identify most people with abnormal blood sugar levels related to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. These criteria – which are suggested, but not recommended by the USPSTF – include family history of diabetes, personal history of gestational diabetes or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and non-white race or ethnicity.

Early diagnosis and treatment reduces the risk for serious diabetes complications. According to researchers, African-Americans and Latinos are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes at younger ages than whites, and Asian-Americans are at increased risk even at a healthy weight. Current screening guidelines identify just 48 percent of African-Americans, 44 percent of Latinos, and 30 percent of Asian-Americans with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Sourced from: Journal of General Medicine

Widowed seniors can lessen feelings of loneliness by volunteering about two hours per week, according to a study conducted at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Loneliness is a significant public health concern – particularly in older adults who have lost a spouse – and is associated with a number of physical and mental health problems, as well as an increased risk of death.

This research involved 5,882 married adults, 51 and older, who completed the Health and Retirement Study, which collected information about family, health, and volunteerism. The researchers used 2006 to 2014 data on individuals who remained married or became widowed to determine whether volunteering could reduce feelings of loneliness from losing a spouse. Participants chose from three categories related to volunteerism: 1 to 99 volunteer hours per year, 100 to 199 hours, or more than 200 hours.

According to the researchers, feelings of loneliness were significantly higher in widows compared to those who stay married. But volunteering two or more hours per week decreased loneliness to levels similar to those in married people volunteering two or more hours a week. This suggests that volunteerism can alleviate loneliness in seniors who have recently been widowed.

Sourced from: The Journals of Gerontology