A new analysis suggests that simply switching to whole, unprocessed foods may help people eat fewer calories—without counting or restricting portions. Researchers at the University of Bristol reexamined data from a tightly controlled National Institutes of Health (NIH) trial comparing ultra-processed diets with whole-food diets.
Participants who ate only unprocessed meals consumed about 330 fewer calories per day, despite eating 57% more food by weight. The study, featured on MindBodyGreen, found that people naturally gravitated toward fruits and vegetables, driven by what researchers call “nutritional intelligence”—the body’s instinct to meet micronutrient needs before calorie intake.
According to the authors, processed foods disrupt this balance by packing vitamins and calories together, overriding the body’s natural appetite regulation system and increasing the likelihood of overeating.