Whereas this polar bear might simply make a meal out of you, one bite of his liver could be sufficient to send you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in lots of diets. Deep-fried hen livers are a favorite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you'll be able to order a heaping helping of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as a few of these dishes might sound to you, not every hen, fish or mammal essentially gives the very 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 long recognized to keep away from eating the livers of various arctic creatures. In truth, in case you ever have the chance to attempt polar bear liver, assume twice -- it will be the final meal you ever eat. Western explorers, however, learned the onerous method. Perhaps probably the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick pores and skin on the bts with teddy bear bottoms of a patient's ft could peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and uncovered. The worst cases 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 throughout a brief time period. Whereas milder instances merely concerned 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, comprises extremely high levels of retinol (the form of vitamin A found in members of the animal kingdom). On the following page, we'll uncover why polar bears carry around a lot vitamin A of their livers and how crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. Whereas some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A solely dissolves in fat. As an alternative, it collects within the physique's filtration organ, the liver, the place it could attain toxic ranges. Vitamin A is an important constructing block for many animals. Which means, unlike different vitamins, excess vitamin A does not exit the body in urine. People only require it in very small amounts, but it surely performs a vital position in eyesight, reproduction, fetal development, development, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in people varies depending on age, gender and bodily condition. Without sufficient vitamin A in your system, you could possibly easily find yourself going through signs simply as dangerous as these related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even loss of life. We typically absorb it via the consumption of foods such as spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and various meats. In actual fact, their physiology advanced to tolerate a lot vitamin A for just one purpose: 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 really require such massive portions. In case you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd endure from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and benefit from the feast. The seals retailer excessive ranges of vitamin A with the intention to swiftly grow and nourish their young in a harsh, chilly setting. Within the wild, polar bears feed virtually exclusively on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which store high ranges of vitamin A of their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key function in progress and natal growth. So if the blue plate particular at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly just wish to persist with a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to quickly advance them by way of their susceptible pup stages. Explore the hyperlinks on the subsequent page to learn more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver typically comprises as a lot vitamin A as 79 to 115 chicken eggs. That award-profitable meal is available in at almost twice the tolerable higher limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does world warming need to do with the decline in the polar bear inhabitants? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell University Division of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Association of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Pointers. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Dangerous(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Training. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific foundation 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 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 College of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Research Council. Rodahl, Okay. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
