Whereas this polar bear could easily make a meal out of you, one chunk of his liver may very well be enough to ship you to the hospital. Liver has long been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried rooster livers are a favourite in components of the American South. In Japan, you'll be able to order a heaping helping of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As delicious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes may sound to you, not each bird, fish or mammal essentially affords one of the best components for a culinary masterpiece. Journey to Germany and you'll feast on traditional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have by no means shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, however they've long recognized to avoid consuming the livers of assorted arctic creatures. Actually, if you ever have the prospect to attempt polar bear liver, assume twice -- it will be the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, realized the laborious way. Maybe the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling pores and skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a affected person's toes might peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst circumstances ended in liver injury, hemorrhage, coma and dying. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation resulting from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a brief time frame. While milder circumstances merely concerned flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported instances of full-physique skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very similar to these of arctic seals and huskies, contains extremely excessive levels of retinol (the type of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the following web page, we'll discover why polar bears carry round a lot vitamin A of their livers and how essential their retinol tolerance is to their survival. While some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A solely dissolves in fats. Instead, it collects within the physique's filtration organ, the liver, where it will possibly reach toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a crucial constructing block for many animals. Which means that, not like other vitamins, excess vitamin A would not exit the physique in urine. People only require it in very small quantities, however it plays an important function in eyesight, reproduction, fetal development, growth, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical situation. With out sufficient vitamin A in your system, you could possibly simply find yourself going through signs simply as bad as these associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, growth retardation and even death. We typically absorb it via the consumption of foods resembling spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and varied meats. The truth is, their physiology evolved to tolerate a lot vitamin A for just one cause: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from retaining a certain amount of vitamin A of their system, but there's nothing to point they really require such massive portions. In the event you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd suffer from hypervitaminosis A, but the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals store excessive levels of vitamin A with the intention to swiftly grow and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly surroundings. In the wild, polar bears feed virtually solely on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which store high levels of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A performs a key function in progress and natal development. So if the blue plate particular at your favourite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly just wish to follow a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to rapidly advance them by way of their susceptible pup stages. Explore the links on the next page to be taught more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver sometimes incorporates as much vitamin A as seventy nine to 115 chicken eggs. That award-successful meal is available in at almost twice the tolerable upper limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does global warming must do with the decline in the polar bear population? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell University Division of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Guidelines. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Dangerous(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Schooling. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific foundation for relating to pooh bear soft toy vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Competitive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis Heart. Canadian Journal of Zoology. Penniston, Kristina L. and Sherry A. Tanumihardjo. Mos, Lizzy and Peter S. Ross. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The University of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Research Council. Rodahl, Okay. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
