Extremely high sodium levels plague hospital food

(Reuters Health) - Hospital food often contains much more sodium than dietary guidelines recommend, a new study from Canada suggests.

Researchers found that almost four in five patients not on a sodium-restricted diet ordered hospital meals that exceeded the Institute of Medicine's maximum recommendation of 2,300 milligrams of salt per day. And almost half of all patients who were supposed to be watching their salt intake were served food with sodium levels above their prescribed limit.

"Hospitals are now using more prepared and outsourced meals on their menu, which tend to be higher in sodium," said JoAnne Arcand, a nutrition researcher from the University of Toronto, who led the new study.

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