Whereas this polar bear could simply make a meal out of you, one bite of his liver could possibly be sufficient to send you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried chicken livers are a favorite in components of the American South. In Japan, you possibly can order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes could sound to you, not every hen, fish or mammal necessarily provides one of the best substances for a culinary masterpiece. Travel to Germany and you can feast on traditional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have by no means shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, but they've lengthy recognized to avoid consuming the livers of various arctic creatures. In actual fact, should you ever have the chance to try polar bear liver, suppose twice -- it would be the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, learned the laborious method. Perhaps the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling pores and skin. Even the thick pores and 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 dying. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation resulting from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a short time frame. Whereas milder circumstances merely concerned flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported cases of full-physique skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very like these of arctic seals and huskies, comprises extraordinarily excessive levels of retinol (the type of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the subsequent web page, we'll uncover why polar bears carry round 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 fat. Instead, it collects in the physique's filtration organ, the liver, the place it could actually reach toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a vital building block for many animals. Because of this, in contrast to different vitamins, excess vitamin A doesn't exit the physique in urine. Humans solely require it in very small amounts, but it surely performs an important function in eyesight, reproduction, fetal growth, progress, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies depending on age, gender and physical situation. With out enough vitamin A in your system, you could possibly simply find yourself facing signs simply as dangerous as these associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even dying. We typically absorb it by the consumption of foods such as spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and various meats. In reality, their physiology advanced to tolerate a lot vitamin A for just one motive: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from conserving a certain quantity of vitamin A of their system, however there's nothing to point they really require such large portions. When 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 retailer excessive ranges of vitamin A so as to swiftly develop and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly surroundings. Within the wild, polar bears feed virtually solely on bearded seals and ringed seals, both of which store high levels of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A performs a key function in development and natal development. So if the blue plate special at your favourite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you might simply need to follow a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to rapidly advance them through their susceptible pup levels. Explore the hyperlinks on the following page to be taught extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver sometimes contains as a lot vitamin A as seventy nine to one hundred fifteen rooster eggs. That award-profitable meal comes in at nearly twice the tolerable higher limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does international warming need to do with the decline within 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 Tips. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Dangerous(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Schooling. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State College. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific basis for regarding vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Worldwide federation of Aggressive Eating. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology we bare bears soft toy and Research 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 University of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Analysis Council. Rodahl, Okay. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
