RESUMEN Los alimentos ultraprocesados son productos industriales que contienen una composición nutricional desbalanceada, contribuyendo a un elevado de calorías, azúcares, grasas y sodio. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados de adolescentes, adultos y ancianos. En la ciudad de Teresina, Piauí, se entrevistó a adolescentes (10 a 19 años), adultos (20 a 59 años) y ancianos (≥60 años). Una encuesta recordatoria de 24 h se utilizó para evaluar el consumo de alimentos con una repetición posterior en el 40% de la muestra. Se utilizó el análisis de varianza (ANOVA) con la prueba post-hoc de Bonferroni para comparar los datos y se aceptó como significativo el valor de p<0.05. Se observó que los adolescentes que consumían una mayor cantidad de alimentos ultraprocesados (2º y 3º tercil) consumían significativamente menos cereales y legumbres. Entre los adultos, se observó que los terciles con mayor consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados tenían significativamente menor consumo de cereales, carne, frutas, verduras, legumbres y huevos. Entre los ancianos, en los terciles con mayor consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados, hubo un consumo significativamente menor de granos y carne. Se concluye que el mayor consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados contribuyó al menor consumo de alimentos no procesados o mínimamente procesados.

ABSTRACT Ultra-processed foods are industrial products that contain an unbalanced nutritional composition, contributing to a high intake of calories, sugars, fats and sodium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consumption of ultra-processed foods among adolescents, adults and the elderly. In the city of Teresina, Piauí, adolescents (10 to 19 years old), adults (20 to 59 years old) and elderly persons (≥60 years old) were interviewed. The 24-hour food recall was used to assess food consumption with subsequent replication in 40% of the sample. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni’s post-hoc test was used to verify the data, and the value of p<0.05 was adopted as significant. It was observed that adolescents who consumed a greater amount of ultra-processed foods (2nd and 3rd tertile) consumed significantly less grains and legumes. Among adults, it was observed that the tertiles with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods had significantly lower consumption of grains, meat, fruits, vegetables, legumes and eggs. Among the elderly, in the tertiles with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, there was significantly lower consumption of grains and meat. We conclude that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods contributed to a lower consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

Abstract Lettuce is a vegetable most consumed and produced on a large scale in the world, it deserves special attention for its nutritional and functional value. Cultivated in the conventional, hydroponic and organic method, it presents different characteristics in production, which may influence the composition of this vegetable. It is indisputable that regular consumption of vegetables is beneficial due to the presence of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties that protect and promote human health. In this study, the total phenolic compound, flavonoid, and tannin contents, as well as the antioxidant activities of lettuce samples from conventional, hydroponic, and conventional cultivars were analyzed. An extract was prepared using 80% acetone. The contents of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and tannins were determined. The antioxidant activity was determined by the radical capture method using DPPH. It was observed that the organic cultivation system had the highest values of ash, protein, total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant activity, followed by the hydroponic system. The organic system presented greater protein content and higher content of bioactive compounds, justifying the high antioxidant activity. Therefore, the organic farming system favors the highest concentration in the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.