Spud study: could potatoes help you sleep better?
NCT ID NCT05994313
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether eating potatoes every evening for 12 weeks could improve sleep quality and blood sugar control compared to eating white rice, pasta, or couscous. 71 healthy adults aged 40-80 with low fruit/vegetable intake and poor sleep took part. Researchers measured sleep efficiency and nighttime glucose levels using a continuous monitor.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- potatoes (mashed, boiled, baked)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that eating potatoes instead of refined starches like white rice or pasta may improve sleep and blood sugar control.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 71 healthy adults, so results may not apply to everyone. Dietary studies are hard to control, and findings may not be conclusive.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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71 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2023
- Finished
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May 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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40 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Self-reported healthy adults * Aged 40-80 years old * Intake of ≤4 portions of fruits and vegetables (excluding potatoes) per day * Low sleep quality index of \>5 (Pittsburgh sleep quality index). Exclusion Criteria: * Shift workers and those with multiple jobs or carers who are required to wake through the night * Unwilling to refrain from dietary supplements * Unwilling to follow protocol and/or give informed consent * Diagnosed with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Type 2 Diabetes, Celiac disease, Insomnia, Sleep apnoea * Presence of gastrointestinal disorder * Users of drugs that are likely to alter gastrointestinal motility or nutrient absorption * History of substance abuse or alcoholism * Currently pregnant, planning pregnancy, breastfeeding, or having had a baby 12 months prior * Weight change of \>3kg in the preceding 2 months * BMI \<18.5kg/m2 or \> 35kg/m2, * Current smokers, or individuals who quit smoking in the last 6-months * Frequently consume wholemeal products (1-2 times per day, in the short screening FFQ) * Never consumed refined starchy staples, such as white pasta or rice (rarely or never, in the short screening FFQ) * High potato consumption (4-6 times per week, in the short screening FFQ) * High risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (answer yes to \>3 questions, in STOP-Bang questionnaire) * Vegetarian, Vegan, or pescatarian dietary preferences. * Diagnosed with mental health disorders, and/or on medicine for their mental health (antipsychotics, antidepressants, beta-blockers) * Chronic user of antihistamines * Fasting glucose \>7mmol/l (finger prick test at baseline clinic) * Is taking weight loss, or glucose regulating medications. * Has been unstable on blood pressure lowering medications for at least 3-months prior to enrollment.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Nutritional Sciences, Franklin Wilkins Building, Waterloo campus.
Lambeth, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
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