Whereas this polar bear might simply make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver could be enough to ship you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in lots of diets. Deep-fried hen livers are a favorite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you'll be able to order a heaping helping of sashimi made with raw fish liver. As delicious (or disgusting) as some of these dishes may sound to you, not each bird, fish or mammal essentially affords the most effective ingredients for a culinary masterpiece. Journey to Germany and you'll feast on conventional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have by no means shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, but they've lengthy identified to avoid consuming the livers of various arctic creatures. In reality, if you ever have the possibility to strive polar bear liver, suppose twice -- it will be the final meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, discovered the onerous way. Maybe the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling pores and skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a patient's toes might peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and uncovered. The worst circumstances ended in liver damage, hemorrhage, coma and demise. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a condition ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A throughout a short time frame. Whereas milder cases merely involved flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported instances of full-body pores and skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very similar to these of arctic seals and huskies, comprises extraordinarily high levels of retinol very very big teddy bear (the form of vitamin A found in members of the animal kingdom). On the subsequent page, we'll discover why polar bears carry around a lot vitamin A in their livers and how crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. Whereas some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A solely dissolves in fats. Instead, it collects in the body's filtration organ, the liver, the place it will possibly reach toxic levels. Vitamin A is a crucial constructing block for a lot of animals. Because of this, not like other vitamins, excess vitamin A does not exit the body in urine. People only require it in very small quantities, but it plays a significant role in eyesight, reproduction, fetal improvement, development, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in people varies relying on age, gender and physical situation. Without sufficient vitamin A in your system, you would easily find yourself facing signs simply as unhealthy as those related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, progress retardation and even demise. We sometimes absorb it by way of the consumption of foods equivalent to spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and varied meats. In fact, their physiology advanced to tolerate so much vitamin A for only one motive: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from holding a certain amount of vitamin A of their system, but there's nothing to point they really require such large portions. In the event you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd undergo from hypervitaminosis A, but the polar bear can tolerate and benefit from the feast. The seals store excessive ranges of vitamin A so as to swiftly grow and nourish their young in a harsh, chilly setting. Within the wild, polar bears feed virtually exclusively on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which retailer excessive ranges of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A performs a key role in development and natal development. So if the blue plate special at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you may just want to stick with a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to shortly advance them by way of their susceptible pup phases. Explore the hyperlinks on the subsequent web page to be taught more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver usually comprises as a lot vitamin A as seventy nine to a hundred and fifteen rooster eggs. That award-successful meal comes in at nearly twice the tolerable higher limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does international warming have to do with the decline in the polar bear population? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell University Department of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Guidelines. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Harmful(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Schooling. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific foundation for concerning vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Competitive Eating. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis Middle. Canadian Journal of Zoology. Penniston, Kristina L. and Sherry A. Tanumihardjo. Mos, Lizzy and Peter S. Ross. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The College of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Research Council. Rodahl, K. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
