Their leaves smell rather like pine, so they were often used to clear the air, either by strewing them on floors, or by burning the berries on a fire as the Swiss used to do. In cookery they are used with game and duck, and go well with garlic, onions, thyme, sage, oregano, bay leaves and allspice.
On average, adults in the UK eat about 8.1g of salt (3.2g sodium) a day. This may not sound like much, but to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, it is recommended that adults should not be eating more than 6g of salt (2.4g sodium) a day. Salt intakes should be much lower than this for babies and children. Babies under 12 months old should have less than 1g of salt a day. The daily recommended maximum amount of salt children should eat depends on their age: 1  1 to 3 years â 2g of salt a day (0.8g sodium). 2  4 to 6 years â 3g of salt a day (1.2g sodium). 3  7 to 10 years â 5g of salt a day (2g sodium).
Americans eat on average over 3,400 mg of sodium per day, with intakes generally higher for men than women. However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults and children ages 14 years and older limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day â thatâs equal to about 1 teaspoon of salt!