Postmenopausal status in women
was defined as the absence of menses for P1 y. The exclusion criteria used to screen for their eligibility included: presence of cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and renal diseases; use of estrogen, with or without progesterone; use of medications known to affect lipid metabolism; use of medications known or suspected to influence blood pressure (BP); gastrointestinal diseases and conditions or medications influencing gastrointestinal absorption; chronic kidney disease; endocrine disorders including diabetes and untreated thyroid disease; rheumatologic disorders; active treatment for cancer of any type (except basal cell carcinoma) P1 y; regular use of oral steroids; systolic blood pressure >150 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure >95 mmHg; regular use of any dietary supplements within previous 30 d; usual daily ethanol intake of P2 drinks; cigarette smoking and/or nicotine replacement use; laboratory blood or urine biochemistries outside of normal ranges; EKG abnormalities. The study design was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Tufts University Health Sciences Campus and Tufts Medical Center. All participants signed a written informed consent agreement before participating.