While this polar bear might easily make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver could possibly be enough to ship you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried rooster livers are a favourite in components of the American South. In Japan, you possibly can order a heaping helping of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes could sound to you, not each fowl, fish or mammal essentially presents one of the best components for a culinary masterpiece. Journey to Germany and you may 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 lengthy recognized to keep away from consuming the livers of varied arctic creatures. In truth, in case you ever have the possibility to try polar bear liver, suppose twice -- it often is the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, realized the hard way. Maybe essentially the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling pores and skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a patient's ft might peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst cases ended in liver damage, hemorrhage, coma and dying. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A throughout a short time frame. Whereas milder cases merely involved flaking across the mouth, some accounts reported cases of full-body pores and skin loss. The polar bear's liver, much like those of arctic seals and huskies, accommodates extremely excessive levels of retinol (the form of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the subsequent page, we'll discover why polar bears carry round a lot vitamin A in their livers and how crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. While some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A only dissolves in fat. As a substitute, it collects within the body's filtration organ, the liver, the place it might probably reach toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a crucial building block for many animals. Because of this, unlike different vitamins, excess vitamin A would not exit the physique in urine. Humans solely require it in very small amounts, but it plays a vital position in eyesight, reproduction, fetal development, progress, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical condition. Without enough vitamin A in your system, you can easily end up going through signs just as bad as these related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, growth retardation and even loss of life. We sometimes absorb it by way of the consumption of foods such as spinach, broccoli, big teddy bear online eggs, milk and numerous meats. The truth is, their physiology advanced to tolerate so much vitamin A for just one reason: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears benefit from protecting a certain amount of vitamin A of their system, however there's nothing to indicate they actually require such large quantities. Should you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd undergo from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals store high ranges of vitamin A as a way to swiftly grow and nourish their young in a harsh, chilly environment. Within the wild, polar bears feed almost completely on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which retailer excessive levels of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key role in progress and natal development. So if the blue plate particular at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly simply wish to stick to a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to shortly advance them through their susceptible pup phases. Explore the links on the subsequent page to be taught extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver sometimes incorporates as much vitamin A as 79 to a hundred and fifteen hen eggs. That award-winning meal comes in at almost twice the tolerable higher limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does world warming have 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)." 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 basis for regarding vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Aggressive Eating. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Research 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.
