Whereas this polar bear might simply make a meal out of you, one chunk of his liver might be enough to ship you to the hospital. Liver has long been a staple in lots of diets. Deep-fried rooster livers are a favorite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you may order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with raw fish liver. As delicious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes may sound to you, not every fowl, fish or mammal necessarily presents the most effective substances for a culinary masterpiece. Journey to Germany and you can 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 long recognized to avoid eating the livers of various arctic creatures. The truth is, for those who ever have the prospect to strive polar bear liver, suppose twice -- it may be the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nevertheless, discovered the arduous approach. Perhaps essentially the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a patient's ft could peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and uncovered. The worst instances ended in liver injury, hemorrhage, coma and death. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a brief time period. While milder instances merely involved flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported instances of full-body skin loss. The polar bear's liver, much like those of arctic seals and huskies, comprises extraordinarily high ranges of retinol (the pooh teddy bear online form of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the next page, we'll uncover why polar bears carry around a lot vitamin A in their livers and how 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, the place it will possibly attain toxic levels. Vitamin A is a crucial constructing block for a lot of animals. Because of this, unlike other vitamins, excess vitamin A doesn't exit the physique in urine. Humans only require it in very small quantities, nevertheless it performs a significant function 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. With out sufficient vitamin A in your system, you would simply find yourself facing signs simply as dangerous as those related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even demise. We typically absorb it via the consumption of foods resembling spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and various meats. Actually, their physiology evolved to tolerate so much vitamin A for only one reason: 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 actually require such giant portions. For those who 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 levels of vitamin A in an effort to swiftly develop and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly setting. In the wild, polar bears feed virtually completely on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which store excessive levels of vitamin A of their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key function in growth and natal development. So if the blue plate special at your favourite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly just wish to keep on with a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to shortly advance them by means of their vulnerable pup stages. Explore the hyperlinks on the next web page to learn extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver usually incorporates as much vitamin A as seventy nine to one hundred fifteen chicken eggs. That award-winning meal comes in at nearly twice the tolerable upper limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does global warming must 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 Tips. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Harmful(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Training. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State College. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific basis for relating to vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Worldwide federation of Competitive Eating. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis 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 Analysis Council. Rodahl, K. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
