Impact of a Rice-Centered Diet on the Quality of Sleep in Association with Reduced Oxidative Stress: A Randomized, Open, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial

Previously, we found that a Japanese diet was associated with psychological status, and a combination of rice and miso was related to mental and physical health. We hypothesized that the intake of a rice-based diet affected mental and physical health and aimed to investigate the consequences of a dietary intervention with rice. We conducted a randomized, open-label, parallel-group clinical trial that included 60 participants, who were randomly assigned to receive either rice-based meals or meals with other cereals for three daily meals over 2 months. The participants were surveyed for psychological status and biochemical changes. Sleep quality index scores showed significant improvement after the rice-based intervention. Additionally, blood oxidative stress levels were reduced in the rice-diet group compared with the no-rice-diet group. Although the molecular mechanisms should be investigated in detail, our findings suggest that controlling oxidative stress through the intake of a rice-centered diet may be key to improving sleep quality.