Whereas this polar bear may easily make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver could possibly be sufficient to send you to the hospital. Liver has long been a staple in lots of diets. Deep-fried rooster livers are a favourite in parts of the American South. In Japan, you possibly can order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with raw fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as some of these dishes may sound to you, not every hen, fish or mammal necessarily provides one of the best substances 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 eating the livers of various arctic creatures. In actual fact, if you happen to ever have the prospect to try polar bear liver, assume twice -- it often is the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, however, learned the arduous approach. Maybe essentially the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling pores and skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a affected person's feet might peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and uncovered. The worst circumstances ended in liver harm, hemorrhage, coma and dying. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a condition resulting from the overconsumption of vitamin A throughout a brief period of time. Whereas milder instances merely concerned flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported circumstances of full-physique pores and skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very like those of arctic seals and huskies, incorporates extremely excessive ranges of retinol (the form of vitamin A found in members of the animal kingdom). On the following page, we'll discover 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 solely dissolves in fats. As an alternative, it collects in the physique's filtration organ, the liver, where it may possibly reach toxic levels. Vitamin A is a vital constructing block for many animals. This means that, not like different vitamins, excess vitamin A doesn't exit the physique in urine. Humans only require it in very small quantities, nevertheless it plays a vital role in eyesight, reproduction, fetal growth, growth, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical condition. With out enough vitamin A in your system, you would easily end up dealing with signs just as unhealthy as these associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, growth retardation and even dying. We usually absorb it by the consumption of foods such as spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and numerous meats. In truth, their physiology advanced to tolerate a lot vitamin A for only one reason: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from maintaining a specific amount of vitamin A of their system, however there's nothing to indicate they really require such giant quantities. Should you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd endure from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals retailer high levels of vitamin A as a way to swiftly develop and nourish their young in a harsh, chilly environment. In the wild, polar bears feed virtually solely on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which pooh teddy bear online retailer excessive ranges of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key function in development and natal improvement. So if the blue plate particular at your favourite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you may just wish to stick with a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to quickly advance them through their weak pup phases. Discover the links on the next web page to be taught extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver typically comprises as a lot vitamin A as 79 to 115 hen eggs. That award-winning meal is available in at practically twice the tolerable upper 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 College 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. International federation of Competitive Consuming. 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 University of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Research Council. Rodahl, K. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
