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.