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That can only be proven through physical observation, which is what I did earlier this year. I went 3 weeks without feeding and changed nothing else in my tank. Did my corals surive, yes. Did they appear healthy, yes. For the next 3 weeks, I fed a combination of Frozen Cyclop eez, ESV's Spray Dried Marine Phyto Plankton and Oyster Eggs. I focused on 5 colonies in one area as I did when I didn't fed for 3 weeks. The one thing I noticed was a healthier looking more full bodied physical appearance. Of the 5 colonies, I noticed 7 new polyps during the 3 week period without feeding. I had 13 new polyps total during the weeks I did feed.
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A couple companies in Canada (Canadian Reef which no longer exists and Reef Crew) did an experiment on the growth rates of various corals in fed vs non-fed tanks. They found that zoanthids didn't multiply as fast in the fed tank, but they did look much healthier. These results may not be perfect, as there are other factors to take into account (ie fed tank has some light blocked by suspended food.), but I would think they have some relevance.
If anyone is interested in their results, they are available here:
http://www.reefcrew.bionomicsolution...troduction.htm