This Just In

A roundup of new and noteworthy insights from the week’s most talked-about studies:

1 SWEARING MAY MAKE YOU STRONGER

A small study presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference found that participants who repeated swear words while biking or squeezing a hand grip used more power than when they didn’t curse. Previous research has suggested that swearing can activate a body’s fight-or-flight response.

2 BLACK AMERICANS STILL DON’T LIVE AS LONG AS WHITE AMERICANS

The death rate for black Americans was 16% higher than the rate for white Americans in 2015, according to the CDC. However, that mortality gap has shrunk from 33% in 1999.

3 YOGA MAY ALLEVIATE PERIOD CRAMPS AND PMS

A review in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that regular yoga practice reduced the severity of symptoms and pain from PMS and menstrual cramps for women who had those conditions.

–J.Z.