Whereas this polar bear may simply make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver could possibly be sufficient to send you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in lots of diets. Deep-fried chicken livers are a favourite in components of the American South. In Japan, you can order a heaping helping of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As delicious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes could sound to you, not every chicken, fish or mammal necessarily offers the best elements 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, however they've long identified to keep away from eating the livers of various arctic creatures. In truth, for those who ever have the chance to strive polar bear liver, think twice -- it may be the final meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nevertheless, learned the arduous way. Perhaps probably the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a affected person's feet may peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst circumstances ended in chimpanzee teddy bear liver injury, hemorrhage, coma and loss of life. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A throughout a short time period. While milder circumstances merely concerned flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported cases of full-body pores and skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very like these of arctic seals and huskies, contains extraordinarily high ranges of retinol (the type of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the subsequent web page, we'll discover why polar bears carry around so much vitamin A of their livers and the way crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. Whereas some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A only dissolves in fats. As an alternative, it collects within the physique's filtration organ, the liver, the place it may possibly attain toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a vital building block for a lot of animals. Which means, not like other vitamins, excess vitamin A doesn't exit the body in urine. People only require it in very small quantities, but it surely plays a vital position in eyesight, reproduction, fetal development, growth, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in people varies depending on age, gender and bodily condition. Without sufficient vitamin A in your system, you might simply find yourself going through symptoms just as unhealthy as those related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even dying. We usually absorb it through the consumption of foods resembling spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and numerous meats. Actually, their physiology evolved to tolerate so much vitamin A for only one cause: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from retaining a certain amount of vitamin A in their system, but there's nothing to point they really require such large quantities. In case you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd suffer from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals retailer excessive levels of vitamin A with a purpose to swiftly develop and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly environment. In the wild, polar bears feed nearly exclusively 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 growth and natal development. So if the blue plate special at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you might just need to follow a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to shortly advance them by way of their susceptible pup phases. Discover the links on the subsequent web page to be taught more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver typically comprises as much vitamin A as 79 to 115 chicken eggs. That award-winning meal is available in at almost twice the tolerable higher limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does global warming need to do with the decline in the polar bear population? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell College Department of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Association of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Pointers. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Harmful(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Schooling. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State College. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific foundation for regarding vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic agents." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Worldwide federation of Competitive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis Center. 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.
