2.1. Participants
psychiatric, dementia
DISEASES, DISORDERS
Healthy postmenopausal elderly females were recruited as trial volunteers for this study via the use of a public relations magazine in Mihara City, Japan. The inclusion criteria were healthy, postmenopausal females aged 65 years or older who were independent in their daily lives. Meanwhile, the exclusion criteria were females with orthopedic diseases, psychiatric disorders, and dementia; those on medication; those taking other supplements; and those who missed at least 3 days of supplementation during the 12-week intervention period. The participants received a detailed explanation regarding the contents and methods of this study before the trial began. Written informed consent was obtained from 82 volunteers. Among them, 78 attended the baseline examination session and were randomly assigned to either the propolis or the placebo group. The participants were provided with individual identification numbers to ensure anonymity. After matching according to age (±3 years) and body mass index (BMI; ± 3 kg/m2), the participants were divided into the group receiving propolis capsules (PRO; 