Resumen de Teor de sódio: comparação da rotulagem de barras de cereais convencionais, light e diet e a importância destas informações no âmbito da saúde pública

Mayara Lopes Estevão, Larissa Pereira Aguiar

• English

  Introduction: Nowadays, the seeking for a healthier lifestyle is patent. As a result, people in general tend to search for food which combine health and convenience, such as cereal bars. Due to the increasing consumption of this industrialized food, it is essential that consumers read the nutrition facts written in its package labels in order to be aware of what he/she is really ingesting. Besides the knowledge that it is industrialized food which is sold in the types conventional, light and diet, it is important that consumers read the labels as a significant tool for health promotion as these kinds of food may contain sweeteners with sodium in its constitution. As the systemic arterial hypertension is currently the more prevalent pathology in Brazil, the mineral chosen in the present study, was Sodium. Objective: following objective: contrasting the amount of sodium in cereal bars concerning the types conventional, light and diet, based on their labels. Materials and Methods: The method used among the descriptive ones was the observational, and the collection of data is cross-sectional. It was analysed 19 cereal bar brands, totalizing 125 flavors. Results: Statistically speaking, there was not difference regarding the amount of sodium among the cereal bars analysed. Conclusion: However, it is important to note that persons with hypertension may also have diabetes, thus consuming diet food. Therefore, they have to read the labels of such products so that they may have the effective glycemic and blood pressure control.

• português

  Introdução: A busca por um estilo de vida mais saudável, nos dias atuais, é bastante evidente.Com isso as pessoas tendem a procurar alimentos que aliem saúde e praticidade, no qual pode- se citar, as barras de cereais ou cereais em barras.Com o aumento do consumo desse alimento industrializado, vale ressaltar que é de grande relevância que, o consumidor faça a leitura das informações nutricionais contidas na rotulagem dos mesmos, para que saiba o que está realmente ingerindo. Além de ser um alimento industrializado, e que apresenta-se nas formas :Convencional, light e diet, assim é importante que o consumidor faça a leitura do rótulo, como uma ferramenta importante para promoção à saúde, pois esses alimentos podem conter edulcorantes com sódio em sua composição. Sabendo que a Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica é atualmente a patologia mais prevalente no Brasil, justifica-se o mineral escolhido para o presente estudo, o sódio. Objetivo: Comparar o teor de sódio em barras de cereais, nas versões: Convencional, light e diet, utilizando a rotulagem dos mesmos. Materiais e Método: O estudo foi do tipo descritivo-observacional, com corte do tipo transversal. Foram analisadas 19 marcas de barras de cereais, totalizando 125 sabores. Resultados: Estatisticamente não houve diferença no teor de sódio entre as barras de cereais analisadas. Conclusão: Embora a diferença estatística no teor de sódio, é importante destacar que, muitas vezes, os portadores de hipertensão, podem ser portadores de diabetes, este último fazendo uso de alimentos diet, e, assim, devem realizar a leitura do rótulo desses alimentos para que haja o efetivo controle tanto glicêmico, como pressórico. ABSTRACTSodium content: comparison of conventional cereal bars labeling, light and diet and the importance of this information in the context of public healthIntroduction: Nowadays, the seeking for a healthier lifestyle is patent. As a result, people in general tend to search for food which combine health and convenience, such as cereal bars. Due to the increasing consumption of this industrialized food, it is essential that consumers read the nutrition facts written in its package labels in order to be aware of what he/she is really ingesting. Besides the knowledge that it is industrialized food which is sold in the types conventional, light and diet, it is important that consumers read the labels as a significant tool for health promotion as these kinds of food may contain sweeteners with sodium in its constitution. As the systemic arterial hypertension is currently the more prevalent pathology in Brazil, the mineral chosen in the present study, was Sodium. Objective: following objective: contrasting the amount of sodium in cereal bars concerning the types conventional, light and diet, based on their labels. Materials and Methods: The method used among the descriptive ones was the observational, and the collection of data is cross-sectional. It was analysed 19 cereal bar brands, totalizing 125 flavors. Results: Statistically speaking, there was not difference regarding the amount of sodium among the cereal bars analysed. Conclusion: However, it is important to note that persons with hypertension may also have diabetes, thus consuming diet food. Therefore, they have to read the labels of such products so that they may have the effective glycemic and blood pressure control.