While this polar bear might simply make a meal out of you, one bite of his liver may very well be sufficient to send you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried chicken livers are a favourite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you'll be able to order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As delicious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes may sound to you, not every bird, fish or mammal necessarily offers the best elements for a culinary masterpiece. Travel to Germany and you can feast on conventional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have never shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, however they've lengthy identified to keep away from consuming the livers of assorted arctic creatures. In truth, if you ever have the possibility to attempt polar bear liver, assume twice -- it stands out as the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, however, realized the laborious means. Perhaps the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick pores and skin on the bottoms of a affected person's feet could peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst circumstances ended in liver harm, hemorrhage, coma and loss of life. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a short time period. Whereas milder cases merely involved flaking across the mouth, some accounts reported instances of full-body skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very similar to these of arctic seals and huskies, incorporates extremely excessive ranges of retinol (the type of vitamin A found in members of the animal kingdom). On the following page, we'll uncover why polar bears carry round so much vitamin A in their livers and the way essential their retinol tolerance is to their survival. Whereas some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A only dissolves in fats. As an alternative, it collects in the physique's filtration organ, the liver, where it might reach toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a vital building block for a lot of animals. Because of this, unlike different vitamins, excess vitamin A doesn't exit the physique in urine. People solely require it in very small amounts, nevertheless it performs a significant position in eyesight, reproduction, fetal development, development, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical small teddy bear online condition. With out enough vitamin A in your system, you possibly can simply find yourself facing symptoms just as unhealthy as those associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, growth retardation and even demise. We sometimes absorb it via the consumption of foods comparable to spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and various meats. In truth, their physiology evolved to tolerate a lot vitamin A for just one motive: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from preserving a specific amount of vitamin A in their system, however there's nothing to indicate they actually require such massive quantities. In the event you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd undergo from hypervitaminosis A, but the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals retailer excessive ranges of vitamin A with a view to swiftly develop and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly atmosphere. Within the wild, polar bears feed almost solely on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which store excessive ranges of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A performs a key function in growth and natal improvement. So if the blue plate special at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly simply need to stick with a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to rapidly advance them by their vulnerable pup phases. Explore the links on the next page to learn more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver sometimes incorporates as much vitamin A as seventy nine to a hundred and fifteen hen eggs. That award-profitable 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 inhabitants? 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 Pointers. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Harmful(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Training. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific basis for relating to vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic agents." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Competitive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology 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 Research Council. Rodahl, K. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
