Objective: To estimate the association between food intake and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Design: Cross-sectional design conducted from July 2006 to December 2007. Setting: Adolescents assisted by the Family Doctor Program (FDP) in Niterói, a metropolitan area in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Subjects: Survey of 210 adolescents. Individuals with three or more of the following components of MetS were classified as having this syndrome: TAG $ 110 mg/dl; HDL cholesterol , 50 mg/dl for girls aged 12-19 years and boys aged 12-14 years or ,45 mg/dl for boys aged 15-19 years; waist circumference $75th percentile; serum glucose .100 mg/dl; and blood pressure $90th percentile. A semi-quantitative FFQ was used, and foods were grouped as: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (Group 1), processed culinary and food industry ingredients (Group 2) and ultra-processed foods (Group 3). The associations between food consumption and MetS were adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioural and family history covariates and were estimated using generalized estimation equations with the Poisson regression model. Results: MetS was diagnosed in 6?7 % of the adolescents; the most frequent diagnostic criteria included the reduction of HDL cholesterol (46?7 %), elevated serum glucose (17?1 %) and the elevation of waist circumference (16?7 %). Crude analysis showed higher average daily intakes of energy, carbohydrates and ultraprocessed foods among adolescents with MetS. After statistical adjustment, the intake of ultra-processed foods ($3rd quartile) remained associated with MetS (prevalence ratio 5 2?5; P 5 0?012). Conclusions: High consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with the prevalence of MetS in this adolescents group.

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There is a basic food intake pattern in Brazil based on rice, beans, coffee, bread, and beef with small but consistent regional variation. The consumption of items rich in fat and sugar is also frequent, particularly among adolescents.

Background: The neurotoxic effects of methylmercury (MeHg) have been demonstrated in both human and animal studies. Both adult and fetal brains are susceptible to the effects of MeHg toxicity. However, the specific effects of adult exposures have been less well-documented than those of children with prenatal exposures. This is largely because few studies of MeHg exposures in adults have used sensitive neurological endpoints. The present study reports on the results of neuropsychological testing and hair mercury concentrations in adults (>17 yrs) living in fishing communities of Baixada Cuiabana (Mato Grosso) in the Pantanal region of Brazil.

OBJECTIVE:To describe the most commonly consumed foods in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate energy and nutrient intake and prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake among Brazilian adults. METHODS:Data from the National Dietary Survey, from the [2008][2009] Household Budget Survey, were used. Food consumption was evaluated through food record on two non-consecutive days. A total of 21,003 individuals (52.5% women), between 20-59 years old, participated in the survey. Usual nutrient intake was estimated according to the National Cancer Institute method. The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) cut-off points were used to determine the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake. For manganese and potassium, the Adequate Intake (AI) was used as cut-off. Sodium intake was compared with the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL). The probability approach was used to determine the prevalence of inadequate iron intake. The data were analyzed according to the location of the household (urban or rural) and macro regions of Brazil. RESULTS:The mean energy intake was 2,083 kcal among men and 1,698 kcal among women. Prevalence of inadequacy equal to or greater than 70% were observed for calcium among men and magnesium, vitamin A, and sodium among both men and women. Prevalence equal to or greater than 90% were found for calcium in women and vitamins D and E in both genders. Prevalence lower than 5% were found for iron in men and for niacin in men and women. In general, prevalence of inadequate intake was higher in the rural area and in the Northeast region. CONCLUSIONS:Energy intake was higher among individuals who live in urban areas and in the North region. The greatest risk groups of inadequate micronutrient intake were women and those living in rural areas and in the Northeast region.

Objective: We examined whether drinking water per se is associated with drinking less of other beverages and whether changes in BMI are associated with the intake of water and other beverages. Design: Secondary analysis of a randomized trial of fourth graders followed over 1 year. Setting: Public schools in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Subjects: Participants were 1134 students aged 10-11 years. Results: At baseline, a higher frequency of water consumption was associated with a greater daily intake of fruit juice (P 5 0?02) and a higher daily frequency of milk (P 5 0?005). In the intervention group, the baseline frequency of water consumption was negatively associated with weight change over 1 year but without statistical significance (coefficient 5 20?08 kg/m 2 ; 95 % CI 20?37, 0?24 kg/m 2 ), whereas fruit juice intake frequency was positively associated with weight change: each increase in fruit juice intake of 1 glass/d was associated with a BMI increase of 0?16 (95 % CI 0?02, 0?30) kg/m 2 . Conclusions: Our findings do not support a protective effect of water consumption on BMI, but confirm consumption of juice drinks as a risk factor for BMI gain. Students who reported high water consumption also reported high intake of other beverages; therefore, the promotion of water consumption per se would not prevent excessive weight gain.

Objective: To characterize energy and macronutrient intakes in Brazil and to describe the top food items contributing to energy and macronutrient intakes. Design: Two non-consecutive 24 h dietary records were collected and energy and macronutrient data were adjusted for usual intake distribution. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA with the Bonferroni post hoc test were analysed using SAS version 9·1. Means and standard deviations were estimated for sex, age and income strata. Setting: Nationwide cross-sectional survey, [2008][2009]. Subjects: Nationally representative sample of individuals ≥10 years old (n 32 749), excluding pregnant and lactating women (n 1254). Results: The average energy intake was 7958 kJ/d (1902 kcal/d) and mean energy density was 6·82 kJ/g (1·63 kcal/g). Added sugar represented 13 % of total energy intake and animal protein represented 10 %. The mean contribution of total fat to energy intake was 27 %, while the mean saturated fat contribution was 9 %. Compared with the lowest quartile of income, individuals in the highest income quartile had greater mean intakes of energy, added sugar, alcohol, animal protein, total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and trans fat. Rice, beans, beef, bread and coffee were among the top five foods contributing most to the intakes of energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat and fibre. Conclusions: In general, Brazilians' dietary intake is compatible with a high risk of obesity and non-communicable chronic diseases, being characterized by high intakes of added sugar and saturated fat. Income may be a major determinant of diet nutritional characteristics. Keywords Food consumption Dietary survey Food records Energy intakeSimilar to many other countries, the dietary patterns in Brazil have changed rapidly and drastically in recent decades. These changes are characterized by the increased intake of processed foods and consequently of saturated fats and simple sugars. The excessive consumption of these foods has been linked to the development of excessive weight gain and to an increased risk CVD(1) as obesity is a leading risk factor for many adverse health outcomes including dyslipidaemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, CVD and certain types of cancer (2) . In 2007, 72 % of deaths in Brazil were attributed to non-communicable diseases, especially stroke, CVD and cancer (3) . Additionally, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Brazil has increased steadily since 1974 in both females and males, as well as across all income quintiles. In the 35 years elapsed from 1974-1975 to 2008-2009, the prevalence of overweight in adults almost tripled among males (18·5 % to 50·1 %) and almost doubled among females (from 28·7 % to 48·0 %). In the same period, the prevalence of obesity more than quadrupled among males (from 2·8 % to 12·4 %) and doubled among females (from 8·0 % to 16·9 %) (4) . Despite the importance of diet in the development of these diseases, which are among the main causes of mortality in Brazil (3) , and the accelerated progression of overweigh...