GENEVA, Switzerland, April 5 (UPI) -- Reducing salt intake and increasing potassium would save millions of lives worldwide each year, World Heath Organization officials in Switzerland said.

The WHO set a global goal to reduce dietary salt intake to about one teaspoon per person per day by 2025, yet salt intake in many countries is currently much higher than this.

One study examined the effects of modest salt reduction on blood pressure, hormones and blood fats from 34 trials involving more than 3,000 adults.

A modest reduction in salt for four or more weeks led to significant falls in blood pressure in people with both raised and normal blood pressure. The effect was seen in white and black people and in men and women, thereby reducing strokes, heart attacks and heart failure across populations, the study said.

Similar results were found in a second analysis of 56 studies. The analysis found reduced salt intake reduced blood pressure and had no adverse effect on blood lipids, hormone levels, or kidney function, WHO officials said.

The findings were published in the British Medical Journal.

NEW YORK, April 5 (UPI) -- A federal judge in New York Friday ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow the morning-after pill to be sold to teens without a prescription.

LOS ANGELES, March 31 (UPI) -- Women given estrogen plus progestin -- hormone replacement therapy -- have a greater chance of contracting breast cancer, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Rowan T. Chlebowski of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, the lead researcher, and colleagues looked at postmenopausal women with no prior hysterectomy with negative mammograms within two years.

The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found breast cancer incidence was higher in women prescribed estrogen and progestin combined therapy than those where not. Women who started hormone therapy closer to menopause had a higher breast cancer risk with a weakening influence as the time from menopause increased, the study said.

"Because survival after breast cancer diagnosis did not differ between estrogen plus progestin users and non-users, the higher breast cancer incidence of those using estrogen plus progestin may lead to increased breast cancer mortality on a population basis," the authors wrote in the study.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 31 (UPI) -- Stress aggravates irritable bowel syndrome, but does not cause it, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System.

Senior study author and gastroenterologist Dr. John Y. Kao, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, and colleagues Dr. Chung Owyang, Gary Huffnagle, Dr. Vincent Young identified the way stress significantly altered the composition of gut bacteria and the role of probiotics. They found when stressed, mice produced corticotropin-releasing hormone that prevented inflammasomes from doing their job.

Pretreatment with probiotic therapy reduced inflammation in mice with stress-induced small bowel inflammation, the researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Gastroenterology, revealed stress alters brain-gut interactions and induces the intestinal inflammation that often leads to severe or chronic belly pain, loss of appetite and diarrhea.

"The effect of stress could be protected with probiotics, which reversed the inhibition of the inflammasome," Kao said in a statement. "This study reveals an important mechanism for explaining why treating irritable bowel syndrome patients with probiotics makes sense."

Probiotics are live bacteria that help grow the gut-dwelling "good" bacteria that keep pathogens in check, aid digestion and nutrient absorption and contribute to immune function, Kao said.

"Additional clinical study is required to determine the optimal probiotic therapy," Kao said. "Patients can start living healthier lifestyles to improve their gut microbiota such as adding more fruits and vegetables to their diet, and looking for ways to keep stress in check."

DALLAS, March 31 (UPI) -- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging people to achieve nutritional goals without forsaking favorite foods, a U.S. expert says.

Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said proteins should be regarded as a side item, while vegetables should make up the largest portion of meals.

Sandon suggests adding bursts of color as a tool to make sure meals contain a healthy balance of vegetables, grains and proteins.

"The more colorful vegetables on your plate, the better off you are," Sandon said in a statement. "You don't always have to change everything you eat; the trick is to find good things in what you eat every day."

A few of Ms. Sandon's nutrition tips tailored to cuisines from around the world:

-- Chinese: incorporate plenty of broccoli, kale, carrots and water chestnuts into stir-fry dishes. Opt for long-grain or brown rice instead of white rice.

-- African-American: make healthy vegetables like collard and mustard greens, sweet potatoes and corn the largest portion of your meal. Also, a 2-inch square of cornbread is a great grain addition.

-- Italian: strive to add artichokes, beans, spinach, bell peppers and zucchini to your favorite dishes. Instead of pasta, try using quinoa with a dash of olive oil as your main grain.

-- Mexican: color your dishes with plenty of jalapeno and bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and avocado. Corn tortillas contain fewer calories and less lard, making them a better choice than flour tortillas.

WASHINGTON, March 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said those on Medicare saved $6.1 billion on prescription drugs due to the healthcare reform.