# How to Eat More and Still Lose Weight: Simple Secret Revealed

# Natural Food vs. Processed: Scientists Reveal the Secret of Natural Calorie Control **British researchers have proven that reducing dietary calorie intake doesn't necessarily require smaller portions or fasting periods.** Simply replacing ultra-processed products with whole foods is enough—and the body will begin to "economize" calories on its own. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN). The authors reanalyzed data from a 2019 clinical experiment. In it, 20 participants alternated between two types of eating over the course of a month: a whole foods diet and a diet dominated by ultra-processed products. In both cases, they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted—portions were not restricted. The results were striking: when eating whole foods, people consumed more than 50% more food by weight, yet took in an average of 330 fewer kilocalories per day. Food volume increased while energy value decreased. In the new study, scientists attempted to understand why this happens. An important detail of the experiment was that participants could independently choose dishes from a provided selection. According to psychology professor Jeff Brunstrom, when people are given unprocessed foods, they "intuitively choose a combination that provides satiety and nutrition while reducing overall calorie intake." The researchers hypothesize the existence of so-called "nutritional intuition." According to this hypothesis, the body strives to balance energy and micronutrient intake—vitamins and minerals. In natural products, this balance is preserved: to obtain necessary substances, people more often choose fruits, vegetables, and other products with low energy density. The situation is different with ultra-processed food. Such products typically contain high amounts of fats and sugars but are additionally fortified with vitamins and minerals. As a result, a person can receive a high dose of calories from a small volume of food without experiencing sufficient satiety. "There's a concerning possibility that ultra-processed foods deliver both energy and micronutrients simultaneously, disrupting the natural trade-off between them," noted study co-author Annika Flynn. The authors emphasized that additional research is needed to understand whether this "nutritional intuition" is innate and how social factors influence it. However, the study already demonstrates that the problem of excess weight may be connected not only to portion sizes but also to the type of products that dominate one's diet.